


Welcome to Wild Fauna University

by 21PinkMoon



Category: The 100 (TV), ビースターズ | BEASTARS
Genre: Alpha Lexa (The 100), Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Animals, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Animal Transformation, Animals, Anthropomorphic, Artist Clarke Griffin, Blood, Clarke is a lion, Cute Clarke Griffin/Lexa, Dead Costia (The 100), F/F, Falling In Love, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hyena Lexa, Jealousy, Mates, Mating Bond, Minor Character Death, Minor Costia/Lexa (The 100), Other, Possessive Behavior, Protective Clarke Griffin, Protective Lexa (The 100), Slow Burn, Smut, cute clarke
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-11
Updated: 2020-08-13
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:27:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 39,250
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24061324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/21PinkMoon/pseuds/21PinkMoon
Summary: Run. Run. Run.Breathe. In. Out.Why are they still following me?The Doe's ears flopped down, laying back against her head. She rested her back against the doors. It was dark. So darkBreathe.Thump...Her body trembled, and she gasped. Grumbling and biting her bottom lip. She couldn't smell who the intruder was; they injected her with a drug. It was starting to take effect."Damn Ba-"Suddenly the doors flew open, slamming against the walls of the auditorium. It created a thunder like sound as the Doe tumbled down the stairs. She looked up with glassy eyes.This is it."That's all we are to you, huh?"She screamed at the attacker, tears threatening to spill down her face."ARE WE JUST FOOD FOR YOU CARNIVORES!?"The attacker stopped..So anywaysssss read the story please I promise you'll like it :)
Relationships: Anya & Lexa & Lincoln (The 100), Bellamy Blake/Echo, Clarke Griffin & Lexa, Clarke Griffin/Lexa, Emori/John Murphy (The 100), Finn Collins/Raven Reyes, Gustus/Indra (The 100), Octavia Blake & Lincoln, Octavia Blake/Raven Reyes
Comments: 18
Kudos: 121





	1. Doe Eyes

**Author's Note:**

> Soooooo in this story everyone has some sort of Spirit animal in a way. They can turn into them at any point if they want. Being taught at a young age to shift between human and animal is very important. The three stages are "Human" "Betwixt Were" "Feral."  
> Human is when you look like a humam and your instincts are more dimned down.(you still have heightened senses) However dimming down your insticts for too long can have horrible effects. Betwixt Were is just when you are more intuned with your insticts but still have that human emotion. Feral is when you are conpletely one with your animal. This is not bad. But it can be dangerous between herbivores and carnivores if they are not checked. You are still completely aware of what you are doing, but your instincts are mostly in control. If you are trained while your young, you can still control yourself even when your feral

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "An animal's eyes has the power to speak a great Language."  
> ~ Martin Buber
> 
> Clarke in Raven get into a fight about the doe dying, Clarke bumps into a stranger, and Clarke breaks down into her feral form.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo I've decided that Aden will instead be a hyena, so he could be related to Lexa's pack.(Yes Lexa will be a hyena). Spotted female hyenas are extremely ruthless and much stronger than the males. So I thought that this might fit Lexa's persona. Madi will be a panther. Thank you for the suggestions y'all! Let's begin. Pics of what Lexa and Clarke look like will be at the end of the chapter If I can figure out how to add pictures XD  
> p.s the middle stage between human and feral is now called meta.
> 
> WARNING: Mention of sexual assault in the beginning. Just skip over the report. Anddd there's some violence towards the end.

[Lexa -- Meta, Human, and Feral](https://picsart.com/i/image-326681726001201)

[Clarke -- Meta, Human, and Feral](https://picsart.com/i/image-326747286081201)

[Bellamy and Octavia -- Meta, Human, Feral](https://picsart.com/i/image-326818776085201)

[Raven -- Meta, Human, Feral](https://picsart.com/i/image-326848061046201)

* * *

_Full Name: Costia Ossian Ellain Woods_

_Age: 17_

_D.O.B: April 8, 2013_

_D.O.D: June 5, 2030_

_Species: White-Tailed Deer_

_Genus: Odocoileus_

_Status: Deceased_

_Reasons: N/A_

_Suspects: N/A_

_The victim was clawed at multiple times around the neck. There appears to bite marks around the genital area as well as bruising around the chest. The doe has bleeding fingertips, meaning that the female put up some sort of resistance against the assault. Based on how deep the bite marks on her face and the arrangement of the marks, it seems that that she might have been assaulted and killed by a large feline(Presumably a Panthera leo)._

The blond-haired, blue-eyed woman took a quiet sip of her chamomile tea. It was warm, sweet, and inviting. She let it pool at the roof of her mouth for a minute, so she could enjoy the quiet moment within the walls of her best friend's room. When does her mind ever catch a break? It was hard enough keeping up her studies, working, (making sure her own pride didn't make stupid mistakes) to ever imagine taking time to herself to just sit. The rhythmic snoring of the blonde's dear friend almost lolled the blonde back to sleep on the desk but she stubbornly kept her eyes trained on the alarm clock across her friends bedroom. It was five thirty in the morning. Way too early to weigh in the day's burdens in her own bedroom.

The brunette was spread open on her bed like starfish, blue and black feathers clinging to her bed-hair and the sheets around her waist. She must have shifted in the middle of the night. The blonde bit her lip, and contemplated whether or not to wake up her friend. Raven shifted on the bed, and her eyes peeled open with a lazy smirk painted on her lips.

"helloo, Clarkey," Raven drawled. Clarke growled at the old nickname, but she smiled warmly soon after.

"How are you feeling?" inquired Clarke. Her cup of chamomile tea radiating warmth in the palm of her hand.

"As good as I can be," Raven remarked. She was more awake this time. Alert to the fact that Clarke really shouldn't be here. "I don't know about you, Clarke. But you shouldn't be kicking it in the aviaries dormitory," The messy brunette joked with an underlying seriousness to her statement. Clarke chuckled softly, and plopped on Raven's bed. Her disposition shifting ever so slightly to a more serious expression

"She left last night."

The light from Raven's eyes immediately dimmed, and Clarke cursed herself under her breath.

"I...I had a feeling it would happen." Raven's voice sounded empty; robotic even. "I just thought I would have more time to prepare myself."

Clarke didn't understand her best friends dynamic whatsoever. It made no sense to her, then again--she sighed to herself--her own love life wasn't all that cohesive either.

"Look Raven. Whatever is going on-" Before she could finish, Raven abruptly interrupted her with a small whisper.

"She said after last year, she can't be with someone that's scared of her," and immediately the words lodged straight into her stomach and knotted into a ball of nerves.

She knows what Raven is referring to.

It was hard day for everyone, and she would have to have a talk with Octavia later today about this. But for now she pushes to the back of her mind.

"Octavia has no right bringing up that even as an attack on you."

"but-" Clarke interrupted with a wave of her hand.

"But nothing. Everyone was emotionally unstable. I was emotionally unstable," The blonde stated with an air finality. Raven nodded solemnly and swung her legs across the bed and put her head in her hands.

"I know. I just...I know it was harder on you than anyone." A quiet warmth swelled up in the corners of Clarke's eyes. Clarke lunged forward and gave Raven a bone-crushing hug. That day was hard on everybody. It introduced her to a world of prejudice, blame, and hurt. That day was the only day she has ever lost control. Most people do not reach their animal maturity and mental maturity at the same time. When one reaches both mental maturity and animal maturity, they should be able to shift between all three of their forms no problem. However most people don't reach this until their 21.

She reached it at 16. Junior year of High School. It was terrifying.

🐾

" _Everyone knows about doe-eyed Costia Woods being viciously killed by a Lion,_ " Raven snapped at Clarke, her sharp beak near inches from Clarke's face. The school year was almost over, and the incident of another herbivore being killed marked the end of the year celebration with prejudice among the students. Tensions were running high between herbivores and carnivores. And Raven was too close to Clarke's face. Octavia noticed.

"Back off, Raven," Octavia warned with a throaty growl. "Me and you both know that Clarke would **never** kill an herbivore." Clarke knew that Raven was saying this out of fear. She knew since she was born that people would be afraid of her. She just didn't think that Raven, who she is so close too, would lash out of fear on her like this.

It cut Clarke. deep. and Raven knew.

"That doesn't mean she thinks about doing it!" Raven taunted, blue and black feathers were beginning to sprouted from her hands and arms.

"And who's to say that it wasn't her own pride that did this, huh?"

Raven knows not to taunt a carnivore like this. That it was dangerous for both her and a carnivore. That someone could get seriously hurt, if she took this accusation too far.

She suddenly stopped breathing at her.

_When did I ever refer to Clarke as just another carnivore?_

Clarke's eyes were dilating and her claws were already erupted from her hands; however, she stayed frozen in her seat, while she looked at Raven with piercing blue eyes. Clarke knew better. She has been taught at a young age to _never_ lose control. And here she was going against everything she has been taught. They were outside the school's walls, and Raven was making a scene. Shame and loathing clawed deep into Clarke's veins as she felt more and more people watching them.

_Leering at her._

Her instincts told her to make an example out of Raven. Just how Raven was making an example out of Clarke. The already meta lioness recoiled in disgust at the thought. The realization that her animal was plaguing her mind more than her rational humane thoughts sent ice down her veins. She needs to find a safe place.

_I'm gonna turn feral in front of everyone._

_Damn it, Reyes. Please stop._

But Raven's movements contradicted her own thoughts. Raven felt bold, and the meta bird was about to take a step forward when Octavia snarled and got into Raven's face. Raven's eyes widened in shock and her talons instantaneously retracted when she heard Octavia angrily bark at her, " _Don't you dare_ , _Raven_." Octavia watched as several emotions flew across Raven's face before they settled on embarrassment. Raven's head dipped down and tears pricked the edges of her eyes.

"Damn it," She whispered to herself. She knew she fucked up when Octavia's eyes were fiery and her own canines were bared at her, but an inkling of fear consistently irked the back of her mind.

_Now you have two carnivores mad at you_

_Shut up._

And by God Raven has never been more mad at herself then she did at that moment when the thought came to the forefront of her mind. Octavia and Clarke are not just some carnivores. They are both way more to her. But still, she felt the insistent pull to fly away or slash Octavia across her face to protect herself.

Octavia took a threatening step forward.

"You can not be stupid enough that a bird like you will get in a lioness's face like that," Octavia snarled, Octavia's k-9 ears perked up, signaling that she too felt threatened by Raven's accusations. She was on a roll now, and she wasn't taking any of Raven's shit today. Octavia turned into her own Meta out of sheer frustration at Raven and her own self. Octavia was already feeling the same pull she knows Clarke is feeling at Raven. It was scary and exhilarating all at the same time. She can tell that Raven didn't mean what she said but Raven still needed to know how dangerously wrong that could've turned out if Clarke didn't have the control she has now. But when Octavia looked back at a very rigid and an aggressive-looking Meta lioness, she was hit with the realization that maybe Raven pushed too far this time. Hell, looking into Clarke's eyes sent chills down her back. But then she saw the sliver of blue running along the her irises.

Clarke was still there.

For how long? She couldn't tell.

She snapped her head back at Raven's sniffling. Octavia rolled her eyes. Of course though, Octavia can not stay mad at Raven forever. And Octavia's own eyes softened at the latter's tears. Which were on the verge of falling down Raven's face.

Clarke, on the other hand, was having a more difficult time not changing into a feral Lion. This has never happened before. She still should've had at least three more years before she even got the urge to shift completely. The desires of her animal is overwhelming her. The blonde did feel bad for Raven. She truly did, but she couldn't deal with the mix of emotions cluttering her heart and head. It was all too much.

The judgmental eyes.

Raven's yelling.

Octavia's growls.

They were all too much for Clarke.

She needed to get out of there.

Now.

Clarke shot up from her frozen position, making the legs of the bench screech against pavement harshly. Everyone held their breath in anticipation of what Clarke will do next. Clarke pushed past Octavia and Raven, her own tail poking out beneath her skirt rigid, and her ears elongated into round, soft circles on top of her head that flicked forward every few seconds. Clarke could hear her own bones trying to crack a part and rearrange themselves, but she wouldn't let that happen. 

She can't let it happen

_God, where's the Ark pride?_

Clarke ignored the screams of her friends. She didn't know what they were saying.

She didn't care what they were screaming. 

She needed to find a private room for lions. Her home was too far, and her pride was no where in sight. She couldn't smell them. Her head was on a swivel when she bumped into what smelled like a hyena. The Hyena's arms wrapped around her waist before Clarke fell back on her ass. Clarke tried looking up to see what the 'supposed' hyena looked like, but she was mildly surprised/horrified when her vision was being blurred by her own tears.

_Damn it what the hell is happening to me._

Anxiety gripped her heart, and breathing was speeding up. It felt she was choking on nothing but air. She heard the stranger say something, but it all sounded muffled to her.

_Am I going into heat too!?_

"You should really watch where your going, kitten."

Clarke's breathing slowed down and the strikingly clear, empty voice of the stranger violently ripped the lioness from her dazed stupor. She felt the Hyena tense against her. As if she realized something. Clarke couldn't ponder on it for too long because the very next moment her back was against a wall and her hands were held tightly in between her own breasts. Clarke didn't have enough time to fight back

"Don't call me, kitten." Clarke seethed at the stranger. Her ears stood erect at the name, and her tail straightened out as she heard the demeaning lilt in her voice. Clarke wanted to growl up at the canine, hurt her, bite her, shout at her, anything, until she looked up.

The meta hyena tilted her head down at the struggling girl, and bared her teeth at the lionesses with no hint of emotion crossing her face. It was cold and mechanical They both could hear the sirens and harsh barking of police dogs coming their way. Someone must have called the police on her. Clarke suddenly felt unconscious, her body was overheated, and her bones were straining against the urge to fully shift. She must've looked like a monster. AN animal that's lost itself to her own desires.

Clarke could feel a wave of prickling irritation pass over her being , but she violently stomped out the feeling and ignored it. She clumsily pushed away from the stranger and not so subtley glared angrily at a pair of vacant green eyes, but she hesitated. The green eyes contrasted greatly with her fur coat, and they swirled around and kept moving like a green lake in the middle of a calm forest; however, that wasn't what stopped her. It was the hint of sadness that laid in the corner of the stranger's eyes. Sadly, she didn't get to stare at them for too long because the spotted fur body that belong to the pair of green eyes lunged at her with a viscous growl. And then everything was dark.

🐾

_Who the hell does she think she is?_

Her own skin was itching. She was already far beyond her Meta faze, she needed to calm down. Clarke shivered at the memory of when she first heard of being 'tamed' as the herbivores at Beastly Campa High called it. She tried not to dwell on the memory too long or she'll have to recall all of the emotions that came after the fact. The last thing she want to do is relive that memory. Instead she focuses on calming herself down and thinking clearly. Everything was still black, and she was certain she was going to have a panic attack.

_Breathe._

She told herself this until she started following her own advice. The Blonde meta opened her eyes only to be greeted by a cold, metal muzzle on her mouth. As well as a wave a pain that originated from her eye socket. Her heart dropped to the pit of her stomach.

_I've been tamed?_

Clarke's hands were tied behind her back to a bedpost, and finally she was able to comprehend that she was in someone's bedroom. She tried moving moving around, but a pang of aching soreness wracked across her body, and she let out a quiet whimper. It seemed that her whimpers of pain roused the owner of this woodsy bedroom.

Relief floods her entire being and her ears and tail finally relax. the door is opened to reveal a kind lioness in her own Meta stage. Her eyes stood alert as she looked at Clarke until the lioness realized who it was. Niylah smirked and her tail flicked from side to side lazily.

"Clarke. Why am I not surprised," Clarke smiled painfully, but turned more into a grimace.

"Niylah, what...what's happening to me?"

Niylah softly smiled at Clarke's inquiry with eyes filled with concerned. She closed the door and descended onto the bed infront of Clarke.

"Your body was trying to turn feral for the first time, and someone called the police. A hyena punched you, and I guess you cut her with your claws." Clarke blinked, and her body fidgeted on the bed. Did she really do all those things. Clarke quietly whispered, "What happened then?"

Niylah looked unwillingly to disclose that information, but the other meta lioness only sighed and continued on.

"The Police saw you as a threat and, they put a muzzle on you and beat you cold," The dirty blond-haired woman almost looked sick.

"God Clarke I am so sorry. I tried getting them to stop beating you, but your hands were covered in blood, and the Hyena they were going to question ran off." The blonde remained silent. She tried getting up, but momentarily forgot she was still tied to the bed. Clarke looked up at Niylah across the bed with a gentle expression. The muzzle on her completely forgotten.

"Can you release me?" Clarke jiggled the chains, and Niylah immediately obeyed with a lighthearted smile. Her hands were soft, tentative as they unlocked the cuffs, soliciting a purr deep from Clarke chest. Mirth danced in Niylah's eyes, but Clarke refused to look directly into her eyes.

"Stop looking at me like that, Ni," the blonde said with a grumble rattling from a deep part of her belly.

"Like what Clarke?" The reply was immediate.

"Like I'm broken." Silence followed soon after the statement. Niylah shook her head, but said nothing afterwards. Her hands cupped Clarke cheek where the muzzle met her skim and the Blonde tensed.

_She's way too close._

Clarke growled at Niylah, but the latter growled right back at her. Niylah had the upper hand in this situation, and begrudgingly Clarke knew it. So she allowed Niylah's hands to touch her cheek. behind her head, the dirty blonde finally unclasped the buckles holding the muzzle. After it was slipped off, Clarke let out a shuddering breath and flashed Niylah a grateful smile. Niylah returned the smile in full before wrapping her arms around Clarke's waist and hoisting her up and off the bed.

"I'll take you to your pride, little lion. Just clean up your bruises, and try not to look too much like a punching bag." Niylah stated chuckling at herself, but Clarke didn't have the energy to laugh with her. One question irked her though, and she intended to find out the answer.

"Niylah, How did they stop my heat?" The dirty blonde colored at the question, and she cleared her throat before answering.

"They didn't. I did." Clarke eyes opened up so wide that it was almost comical, but she stayed silent, her eye conveying everything to Niylah, and her cheeks burned brighter.

"No, Clarke! I just gave you a concoction that mutes your pheromones and heat temporarily until you get back home." Clarke smirked and hugged her friends side.

"I don't know what I would do without you." She heard her friend's breath hitch.

"Me neither."

Clarke tried to not think about how husky her response was.

**🐾**

"By Mother earth, where have you been, Clarke?" Abby shouted at Clarke. Clarke closed the door to their house and placed her backpack on the kitchen table. It was eight o' clock on a Friday, and she should have been home hours ago.

"I'm fine, mom," quipped irritably at Abby, she heard Abby breathe loudly as if to calm herself down.

"Don't use that tone with me..." Abby's voice trailed off when she saw her daughter turn around with glassy eyes. All of her bruises were showing.

"Oh-"

"Stop." Clarke effectively cut Abby off with a cold expression on her face Clarke didn't want sweetly coated words, she just wanted to be left alone. Clarke angrily wiped at her eyes her shoulders dropped down and her eyes became a stormy greyish-blue. She was acting like a toddler, but neither one of them dared to admit out in the open.

"I just want to forget about today." Abby's breathe hitched, and she took a cautious step forward. Clarke let out a growl, but was silenced when Abby wrapped her up in her arms. She sagged in her mother's arms, whispering "Why are they afraid of us?" over and over again. She felt her mother's chest rumble with a dangerous growl.

"They have no right hurting a sixteen year old girl like this. No matter what your animal is." whispered back into Clarke's ear, caressing the big purple bruise on her shoulder. They both know they can't say anything about it. It would only cause more problems than they can handle at the moment. Besides, the life of a carnivore is to be controlled, tamed, and feared. All predators born into this world know this by heart.

The tension in her shoulders and the gritting of her teeth was all very real signs that she was sick and tired of being feared. The last thing she wants is too be coddled by her mother. The last time she tried it was when her father was killed, and the only thing she could whisper into the cub's ear are empty promises that clung to her heart for so long. A low rumbling purr started up between them, and the first thought that came to Clarke mind was that her mother was trying to have her let down her walls. Not again.

_Not this time._

Clarke whispered an 'excuse me' to her mother before scurrying up the stairs to her room, but not before she glanced back at her mother and saw the reflection of her own clouded eyes. She quietly locked the door. She slipped off her skirt and peeled off her white collared shirt.

School's over and right now, she should be celebrating with her friends and drinking herself silly. But instead she's locked herself in her own room, and tiredlessly flopped onto her bed. Clarke's head perked up when she heard her phone buzzing in her skirt's pocket. At first, she stared at her bright galaxy lock screen that was buzzing to life on the floor. However, after the third buzz she pulled herself from the bed, and slowly picked up her phone. As if she was afraid to see any of the messages that kept disrupting her phone. She didn't want to know who it was. But deep down she knew.

She opened her screen, and she saw '15 messages from Raven Reyes.' and '10 messages from Octavia Blake.' and finally ' 3 messages from Mom.'

**TheBlueRaven:**

_"Clarke you have no idea how mad I am at myself for making u feel that way"_

_" If I can take back everything I said I would"_

_ "Fuck Im so stupid" _

_ "You and Octavia mean the world to me..." _

_ "I would never in my right mind thing that u would hurt me or anyone on purpose" _

_ "I understand if you dont wanna be friends anymore." _

_ "...but I would be EXTREMELY grateful if u still were" _

The rest of the messages continued on in that way. Clarke sighed to herself and started typing at her phone.

_ "This isnt the type of convo I want to have over txt. How about you, me, and Octavia all go out to eat tmr?" _

Clarke Griffin sucked in her breath and slowly exhaled, her eyes starting to droop. Today was an emotional roller coaster, and it was taking a toll on her physically(Or at least more physically than the day it already has).

_"You can try apologizing then."_

Clarke saw the three bubbles at the corner of screen indicating that Raven was typing out a response, but she shut off her phone before she could see what Raven had to say about it.

She'll read the rest of the messages tomorrow. Irritation was tickling at the back of her skull when she closed her eyelids. Multiple scenes of today's events flashes across her eyes.

Police sirens, getting angry at her mother, Raven yelling at her, Octavia defending her, eyes watching, green eyes staring at her. At last her mind settled down on green eyes, and she relaxed. Until they abruptly shifted into the cold eyes of the Doe, she saw on the news.

_Tomorrow. We'll put this day behind us, and forget about it like it never happened._

It still haunts her to this day.


	2. Jasmine and Earth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I wonder if fears ever really go away, or if they just lose their power over us.”  
> ~Veronica Roth, Allegiant

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm gonna clear something up, since I feel like the farther I get into this story, it might become more confusing. SO Lexa is an Alpha in her pack, but being an alpha in an actual pack just means that she gets breeding rights, and she decides whether a certain member of the pack can breed. Since she is a hyena, her place at the top of the pack just means that her social standing among other hyenas is extremely high.(Meaning that if she were to get in a fight, almost all of her pack would fight for her). She doesn't have to be the strongest. Just have strong allies. Since this is more modern(and humane). "breeding rights" is just gonna be people going up to Lexa and asking her to bless their marriage. I'll talk about Clarke's pride more after the story and what it entails.  
> Have fun reading!

# Welcome to Fauna University

### Introduction to Jasmine and Earth

Everything went by in a flash.

At first, she was smelling tiny wisps of Jasmine and earth.

  
The next minute her jaws were around a soft white neck.

  
Funny how things work out.

Every time the woman's mind flashed back to that incident with the lioness, she hates herself a bit more. It was uncalled for, and frankly just ugly prejudice. The lioness had done nothing to her.

So why did she lash out so uncontrollably?

She has more sense than that. Being raised in a no-nonsense household with a strict mother teaches you a thing or two about not showing emotion. Lexa sighed, and she sank deeper into the chair. If that lioness didn't claw her cheek, she's not sure if she would've been able to let go. Too many thoughts were flying across her head that day. Her emotional state was the worst it has ever been. Seeing that particular lioness look so lost and sad made Lexa burn with anger.

  
What the hell does she have to be sad about? Her kind is the one that killed her.

  
The reports came out unconventionally from a secret source stating that the Doe was killed by a Lion. It aroused controversy everywhere, especially among lion prides that lived around the area. It wasn't fair to blame an entire species for one person's wrongs, but she couldn't help it. It felt like no carnivore had the right to be sad on that day, especially that lioness. She didn't have the right to be depressed. Costia repeatedly stated that she can't be with a carnivore. That it would only lower Lexa's social standing within the pack, and put a bigger target on both of their backs. When the hyena tried stating that Costia's own parents --Gustus and Indra--were herbivore and omnivore, Costia immediately cut her off.

  
"Because of them, we have always been an outcast to our own families."

  
It wasn't fair to her or Lincoln. Lexa couldn't imagine being an outcast in her own pack. Everyone trusted her to do what was best for her people. Dating Costia is a fool's wish, especially for someone in her shoes. But having nothing else to say, all Lexa did was grab Costia's dark brown face and kiss her. Lexa's heart was bubbling, and a groan came from the pit of her stomach and making her dizzy. She was only 14 at the time, but she felt she could have had something with Costia. When Lexa pulled away, the bright smile that plastered Costia's face had Lexa falling even harder. After that, they finally dated in secret. All the way until senior year when...it happened.

  
Lexa snorted at herself. This is ridiculous, there is no need to dwell on the past. As her mother always said, "The dead are gone, and the living is hungry." Offhandedly, Lexa wondered if her mother said that more to herself than she did to her daughters. The mother hyena had only two surviving cubs within her first and second litter, each 10 years apart. The rest were males that were too weak to survive after birth. No matter how many children you have, the death of just one can take a toll on anyone's mental health. Her mother had to watch as one of her own cubs died.

It was heartbreaking, and it turned her mother into the abominable wall; they all know her as--"Heda." And since one of her daughters will be the next Matriarch to rule the 12 different packs, her mother has pledged all her life to teach Anya and Lexa. Especially Anya since she was the oldest and would most likely inherit the position.

  
There were times when she could see a glimpse of a mother she'd never gotten to know, but then it goes away as soon as it shows. They were only small wisps of memories stored deep into the minute cracks of her stone heart.

  
"Heda, it is time to go," Anya interrupts her train of thought, her voice dripping with sarcasm. Lexa's older sister, Anya, will be by her side as Lexa takes the matriarch position. It was decided 15 years after Lexa's birth that the younger sister seemed more suitable for the position. Especially after Anya's 'disappearance' incident. "We won't be able to make it to our first class session if you're brooding in your bed." Lexa let out a rumbling groan from her bed as she twisted her body to sit upright.

  
"I have to practice. I just don't feel li-"

  
"You haven't been feeling like it for three weeks," Anya harped at Lexa.

  
"Get your head out of your ass. You do not need to train until your a skeleton, Lexa." 

  
Lexa's body tensed up, but Anya continued with a more amicable tone, "Even the greatest of minds need their rest." Her face became blank and steely at the pretense of those words. 

She sounds too much like our mother. 

  
Anya raised her eyebrow at the younger woman. After a few minutes of tense silence, Lexa seemed to find herself because she immediately relaxed and murmured a sorry. Anya sighed and strode across the room to pack some of Lexa's books into her bag.

  
"Come on. I don't have Aden with me, and I drove all the way to your mansion, so I could get you out of bed," Anya gave Lexa a sly smile and held out her hand. Waiting. She eyed the offering before sighing and taking the hand that pulled her to her feet effortlessly. She's been skipping and being late to classes for the last month because the ascension to her mother's throne was coming. Lexa did not want to take any chances. She needs to impress all of the pack's leaders for them to trust her. That is her role as the possible Alpha hyena. If she fails, then the coalition will be dispatched, and the Hyenas would become territorial and unnecessary bloodshed would be had.

  
"thank you, Ane." 

  
Anya replies, "Anytime. Trust me. I only get to yell at you so often." Lexa pushed at Anya's shoulder in mock frustration and proceeded to go get dressed.  
Maybe paying attention to school will help me ease my stress.

  
Lexa turned the knob in her shower and began to strip off her clothes.  
The Conclave isn't until another 3 months, but many hyenas from the packs are training day in day out. She knows that the ballet would be heavily in her favor since she is the daughter of a great alpha, but it didn't hurt to push that maybe into a certainty. The Forresters have led these hyenas for as long as her people can remember. She will take no chances for some other hyena to take the alpha position away from her family.  
Lexa stepped into the shower stall and let the warm droplets of water cascade down her head.

But...I won't fail my mother again.

Not here.

 _Not now_.

🐾

Clarke was sitting upright in her Calculus 1 class with Octavia. Raven being the geek she was, already passed most of the College Freshmen requirements for math, so she's starting off in introduction to Calculus 3. While numbers and data isn't Clarke's strong suit, The lioness enjoyed the visual representations of shapes repeating themselves on graphs. Octavia, however, found nothing remotely exciting about mathematics, and instead wanted to pursue biology and forensics so she could be on the police force along with her brother. She lost her train of thought when a crumpled up piece of paper was thrown on her notebook, followed by whispers from someone above her. When she looked up, she saw two female meta zebras with legs that could go on for days, and one girl with long, straight brown hair.

Everyone in middle school by 7th-grade kids usually knows how to fully shift into their metaphase. Of course, there are early bloomers that can shift earlier than middle school. While in high school, it was weirder to see people in their meta form except for the upperclassmen. It was their privilege to be able to walk around the school as a meta. However, carnivores had more strict rules for their transformation. Clarke and a few other carnivores of her size were only allowed to shift a few times out of the week and maybe even less than that. It was to, of course, keep everyone safe from their own instincts. It was to avoid circumstances like the doe from happening.

the college was more relaxed about their transformation rules. You could see people freely in their meta and human form talking in different friend groups. It's a way to have college students get used to the adult world of different meta animals and humans traversing together.

Anyway, the balled-up piece of paper was quietly sitting in her notebook. The girls were all giggling and looking at Clarke and then back at each other. There was no reason to open the note. This isn't high school; she's more mature than this. But her curiosity got the better of her, so Clarke grumbled and uncrumpled the note.

Sadly, the stigma against large carnivores such as herself was still very much there.

>   
>  _Nice to know that the Ark's princess can be tamed._

  
It was a double-edged remark. Everyone at school knew who the ark pride was, and they knew about the incident with one of their own being muzzled and collared. What made it worse was that Clarke was already a well-known figure in her school since she was the daughter of a well-known alpha mane. So not only did the news of her being collared spread, but it also created nasty rumors based on speculation and a lot of those rumors carried into college and tainted Arkadia's name. Clarke absentmindedly brought her hand to her kneck and began rubbing. The marks were gone, but sometimes she could still feel the heavyweight.

Clarke is the daughter of the last dead alpha of her pride. Usually, when lions wanted to become an alpha, it wasn't some fight to the death as their lion ancestors sometimes did. Instead, it was decided by a vote from all of the council members of the ark pride. However, the way her father died was barbaric, and it was in no way an accident. But no one was able to figure out who it was. In a voting session between the council members(her mother included), the next alpha to lead their pride was Thelonius Jaha.

She felt more than saw Octavia lean over and take a peek out the note. The silent growl and grinding of teeth were more than telling of Octavia's displeasure.

  
"Clarke, they have no business speaking to you like that!" The tone of her voice had a lot more bite in it than necessary.

  
"Octavia, calm down. Herbivores always say stupid shit like this."

  
"Yeah? Well, it still doesn't make it okay," Clarke sighed and crumpled the piece of paper back up and stuffed it in her bag to throw away later.

  
"I know it doesn't Octavia. But if I retaliate..." The words hung between them by thin strings. As if the words themselves would crush them if Clarke added any more weight.

Octavia clicked her tongue against her teeth and quietly went back to her math work. Clarke glanced back at the group of girls. The two meta zebras had their head down doing the math problems, but the human girl kept staring at her. Clarke couldn't tell what was swimming in those large eyes of her. They were hazel, but her pupils were blown out, and it made her eyes look dark.

Was it desire?

Terror?

It could've also been just fascination.

Whatever it was, Clarke's heartbeat quickened, and it made her feel frozen in her seat. She didn't like the way the girl with long brown hair was staring. She finally tore her gaze away from the girl when she heard her teacher state the homework, meaning that class was finally done. She looked back in time to see Octavia leaving her seat, and Clarke grabbed her arm before leaving.

"Before you go. I need to talk to you about Raven." Octavia's hands flexed against her books and the straps of her backpack.

  
"I don't feel like ever talking about her." Clarke breathed and stood up to face Octavia.

  
"You need to talk about her. Because the things you said to her had no business coming out your mouth." Octavia looked down as if she was kicked puppy.

When Clarke looked at Octavia closer, she could see her nails growing more extensive and her ears elongating into pointy dog ears. Octavia didn't look angry, so her shifting was probably because she hasn't shifted in a while, and her body was telling her it was time.

  
"Octavia, your shifting. Go into a locker room to change into your meta clothes. I'll meet you at the cafe near the school's statue."

  
Clarke slung her backpack across her back and bent over to slide the books into her arms.

  
"And we will talk, Octavia."

  
Octavia let out a breath, exasperated, but Clarke could hear the light-heartedness to it.

  
"Alright, princess, I'll get right to it."

  
Clarke scowled at Octavia, but her eyes were soft. Throwing a smirk over her shoulder, she stepped out of the classroom. Clarke new Octavia needed at least an hour to fully shift on her own. While angering Octavia is by far the quickest way for her to shift, shifting on her own accord is a bit more tricky for her, and she needs to be in a quiet place for it to happen. When she stepped out of the mathematics, her nose flared, and her fingers twitched. 

That smell. Why does it smell so _familiar?_

Her eyes closed, and she breathed in the smell again, and she languidly opened her eyes again. The ocean in Clarke's eyes darkened, and the woman found herself taking steps towards the smell. The closer she got, the more she was able to decipher the smell. It wasn't until she turned down a corner that she was face to face with a meta hyena. A shuddered went down her back.

 _Yeah_. That smell is definitely familiar. From where? She couldn't tell.

🐾

To say Lexa was surprised would be an understatement. The amount of fear coursing through her body was unbelievable, considering she was at least several inches taller than the blonde, and her jaws could probably swallow the human blonde's face if need be. But it was her eyes that caught Lexa off guard. She vividly remembers staring into the black depths of those eyes. They're the same ones from all those years ago. Lexa cleared her throat, and her muzzle tilted downward so she could have a clear view of the woman's face. Yeah, it must be her. The smell of Jasmine and earth was very subtle but hidden underneath in layers of something else. Lexa quirked an eyebrow and asked with a soft, careful voice, "Are you lost?" Lexa's talking seemed to snap the woman out of her daze because tandemly, her pupils weren't as blown out, and the oceans in her eyes came rushing back, and Lexa felt like it might drown her if she didn't tread carefully. She was broken from her own observation of the blonde's eyes when the woman finally spoke. And God, her voice wasn't anything like she was expecting it to sound like.

"um no. I'm sorry I thought...you were someone else." It was husky and a bit deeper than she was expecting, but it had a melodious quality to it that could lull even the greatest of beasts to sleep.

The blonde seemed to be deep in thought, and the more the meta Hyena observed the blonde, the more she realized that the woman really didn't remember her.

  
_And maybe we should keep it that way_

a voice tickled the back of her mind with the statement. 

  
_She looks different. Almost, lighter from the last time I've seen her._

  
She shook her head as if she was getting rid of the thoughts.

  
Her next statement she made sure had no emotion behind it.

  
"I'm sorry to hear that." The blush that colored the woman's cheek excited the hyena a bit too much. She almost wanted to smile. Almost. Luckily she caught herself before she could turn the corner's of her lips upward. 

  
_Funny how just a year ago, you wanted to **kill** this lioness._

  
It took her moment to realize that the woman in question was actually still talking. Rambling no less.

  
"...And I didn't mean to insinuate that you were boring or anything, and I actually think you're nice to look at but not in a weird way! I-"

  
"That's enough, little lion." The coloring in her cheeks darkened considerably, and the blonde with blue eyes glared away with a small scowl.

  
"I am not a little lion." Finally, Lexa let the smallest of smirks grace her lips before nodding and holding out her hand as a sort of truce.

  
"Give me your name, so I won't have to call you that."

The woman blinked before clearing her throat and took Lexa's hand with such a bright smile that it was contagious.

  
"My name is Clarke. And what is yours?" Lexa gave Clarke's hand a firm shake and let the former's hand drop back to her side.

That was the first time she's seen her hand look so large in comparison to Clarke's small one. Does she really look that big as a meta Hyena? Maybe that's why she dropped Clarke's hand so quickly. She didn't want to be reminded of the physical difference between herself and her human form. No matter if Clarke is a lion when in her meta form or not. The fact that she is a human now already has Lexa feeling slightly uncomfortable. She looked so untouched by the world around her. Like she was in a universe all on her own.

  
"I am Lexa." She heard Clarke whisper the name to herself in a low voice. That voice did something to her.

  
"That's a very pretty name Lexa," Clarke whispered in an almost husky lilt to her voice. And all Lexa could do is tighten her grip and dig her nails into the palm of her hand.

  
"Thank you, Clarke. I could say the same for you." Clarke smile lessened a bit, but her eyes still stayed a bright blue, telling Lexa, the blonde was still happy to be there. But then Lexa's own eyes brightened in amusement as she remembered what Clarke said prior to their introductions.

  
"So, I'm nice to look at. Right?" The teasing tone in Lexa's voice and the laugh emitted by the blonde warmed Lexa's heart. A little.

Lexa was, indeed, beautiful to look at. She had brown spots spaced out across her pelt. The stream of long fur running from the top of her head to the end of her neck was silver brown and very lush in the way it reflected the sun. Two faint dark brown dots circling her green eyes. Her nose was black, and she had two medium sized piercings in her large, slightly pointed ears.

  
"Of course, your fur pattern is lovely, and your eyes..." There was a pause in her words as if she was giving Lexa some time to respond or say something to stop her compliments. Lexa nodded her head and bared her teeth in a show to strengthen her next statement.

  
"I never thought a Hyena such as myself would look good enough to be admired." Clarke looked taken back for a moment at the show of teeth, but when Clarke saw that the meta hyena was completely relaxed in her posture, she didn't take any offense to it. But instead bared her teeth playfully back at Lexa.

  
"Don't let it go to your head, hyena." But the hungry gaze that glared at her eyes made her instantly stop, and a cold reminder slithered up her back.

  
No matter what we try to tell ourselves, we are still animals.

 _You'll do good to remember that_.

  
And the statement became more true when she saw the meta hyena take a step closer, and Clarke stepped back into a wall. Lexa didn't smile, and nor did she talk. For what felt like hours to Clarke. But finally, Lexa whispered something that if the air around them wasn't so quiet, she wouldn't have heard it.

  
"Do not bare your fangs at me."

The way Lexa looked at Clarke with dead seriousness brought another swarm of shudders up her back. Why wasn't her animal reacting more strongly to the way she was being backed into a corner. Baring her fangs and then whispering orders like that?

  
_Like I'm some damn pet._

But the truth of the matter was her animal was reacting to the hyena. Quite loudly, in fact. She didn't want to pay it no mind since what it was screaming at her to do was humiliating. 

  
_Lower your eyes. Flick your ears and-_

  
_**Damnit, stop!** _

  
The thought almost made Clarke gag.

She wasn't just some useless lioness from her pride, and she wasn't any pet of Lexa's. She was a respected lioness. Daughter to the late alpha mane of Arkadia.

But the more she said these encouraging thoughts to herself, the more her animal insisted she submit, and if she was to act purely on instinct and she was in the wild. She knows she wouldn't have had a chance against Lexa.

But why? Why does she feel like she wouldn't be able to beat Lexa?

That she would readily submit so that she might survive? It had to be deeper than her instincts. Clarke as a lioness was still larger compared to Lexa. No matter if she was a better fighter than Clarke or not. Clarke should at least feel secure in the fact that if she were to go toe to toe with this hyena as feral animals. She would have the advantage. But she didn't. 

She didn't feel secure at all.

She wasn't fighting to survive now though. So she steeled herself against the wall and glared straight into Lexa's irises. The greenery around the irises was so distracting that Clarke had to stop herself from getting lost in the anomaly that was Lexa's eyes.

  
"I'm not your **pet** that you can just tell what to do." Lexa's nose twitched, and ears tilted to the side as if she was almost confused.

  
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have bared my teeth at you in the first place," The anger that Clarke felt towards the hyena slowly diminished, and all the blonde was left with was guilt and fustration.

  
"Oh. I just meant it playfully. And you did to. Instincts are hard to control"  
Lexa nodded without no other words Lexa completely back off of Clarke and swiftly turned around. Calling over her shoulder as she left, "I'll see you around, lion."

Clarke took a deep breath and pushed herself off the wall before responding, "Me too, hyena."

🐾

"What the Fuck, Clarke! Where have you been!?" Seethed Octavia. Her ears pointing straight up, and her snout twitching in irritation. Clarke was about to answer until she felt Octavia sniffing around her collar bone, and the blonde tensed. Octavia's nose was cold, and it was nudging against Clarke's collar bone, making the blonde snap at the brunette as a warning to stay back. For a minute, all that could be heard from the two was loud sniffing and growls before Octavia finally backed off with a confused expression.

"It's none of your business. And why the hell were you sniffing me!?" Octavia groaned and rolled her eyes as if it was the most simple question ever.

  
"I was sniffing because you have a weird smell on you," The brunette drawled out before responding again, "And for the record, it is my business since you made the coffee I bought you go cold!"

"Well, you shouldn't have bought me the damn coffee so early then," Clarke quipped back at her best friend.

  
"It's been 45 minutes!"

  
And the bickering between the two continued like that until one of them broke out and started laughing. Suddenly, the whole table was laughing loudly. So loud, in fact, that the barista had to politely ask them to quiet down. In which they apologized with shame-filled quiet voices.

  
Octavia looked back at Clarke and relaxed into her chair. The rhythmic thump of her small tail hitting against her seat showed Clarke that Octavia was relaxed, and the argument they just had was already long forgotten.

  
"Sorry, O. I just ran into someone, and it was kind of a stressful encounter." Octavia nodded and took a sip of her coffee. Her long claws drumming against the table.

  
"Sure. Who did you meet?" The answer was immediate.

  
"Lexa."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Clarke is in pride. Since her father died, the next male would usually take his spot. While this fanfic deals with animals with human minds(in a way), Males do not have to chase out other males of pride or even kill them. Instead, the Ark pride has a board of "elders" almost. Mostly the council. They decided who the next alpha will be of their pride. Since this is(once again) a modern HUMANE animal world, alpha males do not just go around raping every female so they can have kids. The alpha lion can instead choose its mate. Females can also be alpha of a lion pride, but the Ark is pretty old school, so they don't believe in the GIRL POWER. ANywaysssss hoped ya'll liked it! ^^ Have a good day and stay safe.


	3. Responsibilities

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You may believe that you are responsible for what you do, but not for what you think..."  
> ~Marianne Williamson

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I might have to remind everyone that THEY ARE IN COLLEGE. They can turn meta if they want. In the adult world almost everyone is always in their meta form anyways. The last years of highschool help kids prepare themselves to be faced with all types of different animals both herbivore and carnivore. Some CLEXA YALL and moreeee, Also this one be longgg so be prepared!!

# Royal Responsibilities

### "Being Tamed is an unforgivable act of humiliation"

Clarke was _irritated._

Watching Thelonius walk around all proud with his dark mane and dark brown eyes alight with fierce determination irked the hell out of the younger lioness. Today was the day where Wells Jaha will be officially made the successor of the current Alpha. Of course, the council must approve that Wells would be a perfect candidate, but Wells was practically loved by all lionesses and lions alike. Clarke knew that he would become a good leader to their pride. She had nothing against Wells becoming the next Alpha; it was the fact that every time she looked into his father's eyes, they only got darker. Like the blonde was some mistake that should've been erased. It made Clarke's skin crawl, and she wanted to sink her teeth into his God wretched face. 

  
But she must stay composed. If not for her own dignity, then at least for Wells'. She has had to sit through multiple conversations of Wells chirping on about how excited he was and how he would pick the most beautiful mate and so on and so forth. Clarke doesn't have the heart to ruin Well's big day.

  
The young lioness' eyes caught Wells' across the table, and she produced a small smile that immediately welcomed a bright, blinding grin from the dark meta lion. Clarke was truly happy for Wells. But she couldn't shake off the reality that his father killed hers. (Even if it was all just speculation on her end)  
And honestly, she's accepted the fact that she and Wells will never be able to be as close as they used to be.   
Not with the way Thelonius still stares at her. 

_No._

  
They gradually ceased being best friends the minute she realized her father was killed by someone. No one knows who did it, but the older Clarke got, she had a good idea about who.  
The white meta lioness took a cautious glance to her left to see how her mother was doing. Abby's face had a lot of mixed emotions. First, her mother's eyes were darting across the room almost every other second, as if she was apprehensive about something.

Or more like someone.

  
It didn't take a genius to know that she kept on subtly glaring at Thelonius and keeping an eye on him. Clarke knows that her mother dislikes Thelonius. Even before her father died. Every time the girl tries to bring up to her mother about Thelonius, possibly killing her father, Abby immediately shuts her down and tells her not to talk about their alpha 'mane' like that.  
The meta lioness huffed in annoyance at the memory.

  
"Some alpha mane he is."

  
The only warning she received from her mother was a disappointed sigh before Clarke felt claws yank on her tail. The meta lioness jumped and simultaneously coughed to cover up her pain-filled yelp. She could see her mother glaring at her from the corner of the former's eyes. The lioness grumbled out an apology, which seemed to suffice the older lioness for now because Abby returned to her apprehensive scanning of the whole room. Clarke moved to grab her mother's hand but stopped midway when she heard the booming voice of one of the council 'Elders,' Marcus Kane. Clarke dropped her hand back down to her side.

  
"Attention, everyone! We are all here today to approve and initiate the possible new alpha 'mane': Wells Jaha." The table erupted and claps and some whistling from the far left end of the table. Most of the lions her age were on that side of the table. But since her mother was a council member, Clarke was required to learn everything that her mother did on the council. She was almost like an intern of some kind for Abby.

  
Clarke's wandering thoughts were interrupted again by Marcus Kane's loud voice.

  
"As you all know, Jake Griffin died all those years ago before he could produce a successor to his pride. Fortunately, Thelonius was able to step up to the position and govern our people. And now he has a very promising son that will inherit his name and title as the next Alpha Mane of the Arkadia Pride!"

The whoops and hollers rose in volume before they were hushed by smiling elders and older members of the pride. Clarke moved her gaze to Wells. Wells looked at Clarke and puffed out his chest slightly more to show his pride in being the next Alpha. Clarke couldn't help but cover her mouth and laugh as quietly as possible. Even if they weren't as close as they used to be when they were younger, it didn't mean that Clarke didn't enjoy his funny antics now and again. Once the table quieted down to a reasonable volume, Kane continued to drone on about the celebration and how it shall proceed from here on. But Clarke was only looking at Wells, and Wells was only looking at her. There was something in Well's eyes that she couldn't ignore. Was it longing, or was he scared? Perhaps it was both or neither. No matter, Clarke's eyes held a soft brightness that was for Wells and Wells alone. It's been so long since she's had a real conversation with Wells, and she was surprised at how easy it was to read to her ex-best friend's face and how easy it was to care about him again.

  
 _Sadly I don't think I stopped caring about him._ Clarke grumbled to herself.

  
_You're pretty hard to ignore._

  
Then Clarke saw Well's mouth out 'K I N G' with a smirk plastered on his face, and a memory popped into her head. It was something stupid they both did, and they were like what six? Seven? It was before her father was killed, and Wells was raving about how when he grows up, he plans on being the next alpha mane after her father steps down.

🐾

>   
>  "After your father steps down, I'll ask your mom if she would be okay with me being the ALpha mane, and then I will be the king to our people!" a seven-year-old Wells declared fervently. They were walking out of the 'Elder's Council den'-- which was just a large circular building with vast panes of glass as the windows. With large glass doors accented with grey stones and a stone handle. The structure laid in the middle of a broad green field, and the perimeter was aligned with apartments and houses. Connecting some of the flats were long hallways that had bare, white walls that Clarke has painted on more times than she can count on her fingers. But the people always wash it off after a day. Beyond the edge was the Arkadia territory for when some of the pride decided to shift feral. The Arkadia territory was vast, and just so it didn't clash with other animal territories, fence posts are marking where the lions' territory stopped.  
>  Clarke punched Wells's shoulder and grabbed her chest, and acted falsely offended.
> 
>   
> "You don't think a girl such as me could be the ALpha mane of our pride!" Clarke pouted and jutted her lip out at Wells with faux wounded pride. The seven-year-old boy stopped, his eyes grew wide, and he insistently started shaking his head. Wells instantly flushed and put his hand behind his neck and began rubbing it uncomfortably.
> 
>   
> "NONONO! I don't think that's it! Of course, you can be the alpha mane if you want. I've never seen a girl be one before, but you could do-" Wells was abruptly cut off from his apology speech with a loud giggle and snort from the little blonde girl in front of him.
> 
>   
> "Don't worry, Wells I'll let you be alpha mane as long as I get special treatment since I'm your best friend." Wells' face instantly relaxed, and he replaced his embarrassed smile with a broad grin and a promise in his eyes.
> 
>   
> "Of course, I'll give you all the special treatment. But..." Wells shuddered, and his face scrunched up in disgust at his next words.
> 
>   
> "I have to marry a girl!" Wells shouted(very high-pitched) with his hands in his hair in apparent distress.
> 
> Clarke's eyes widened in surprise, and she seized Wells's shoulders with earnest intent.
> 
>   
> "Really!? Hopefully, she's cool because I'm going to be sleeping with you in your awesome alpha den, and she better be careful because I don't want to fight her." Clarke stated thoughtfully while looking at Wells. The young boy tilted his head down and gazed bashfully at the ground. His eyes were swimming with surprise and happiness, and it didn't take Clarke long to realize that he was probably blushing. The blonde girl's heart warmed, and she let go of the boy's shoulders. Clarke really did care for her friend, and the little blonde will not let some other girl steal her best friend.
> 
>   
> A minute of silence swept over them, and words danced on the tips of their tongues. It wasn't awkward. At least not yet. It was more of contemplative silence. Both were thinking of what the other was going to say. And they staid like that for another minute, and then another two minutes. Before they realized it, they were sitting in silence for around ten minutes. That was when Marcus Kane came interrupting their languid silence. Though maybe it was good that he interrupted the silence when he did because when Clarke snapped out of her deep, lazy stupor, Wells was closer than he was when they were talking. The dark brown skin on his forearms was touching hers. His nose was dusted with a faint dark red color that spread to the tips of his cheeks. It wasn't cold. If anything, it was quite warm to the point that Clarke felt like she was at the edge of perspiring. Maybe Wells didn't notice how close they became while deep in the silence, but now the little blonde was hyperaware of how he was breathing, how warm his hand and arms, the darkness of his eyes, and his curly hair. It was disconcerting, to say the least. The young girl took a step back from Wells. The flash of confusion and disappointment in his eyes was all of the evidence Clarke needed to know that Wells was well aware of what he was doing. Once again, Kane's voice sounded over the field but closer, so she could hear what he was yelling.
> 
>   
> "And where do you think _you're_ going, little lions?"
> 
> Two loud groans arose from the children standing near the entrance of one of the many halls surrounding Arkadia's land. Clarke chanced a glance at Wells, but she didn't catch his eyes. Instead, she saw him glaring at Marcus with a grumpy scowl that the blonde wanted to laugh at, but now wasn't the time. Right now, she had to figure out how to get rid of the older lion. He kept walking towards them, and the little blonde didn't have much time to think of anything. So she grabbed Wells' hand and ran to the nearest hall entrance. Ignoring the yelling and shouting coming from outside. She quickly turned down a corner the moment she heard hard stomps of leather dress shoes and the squeaking of Wells' white sneakers against the glossy wooden floor. Wells was dragged along by the fiery blonde as if he was a rag-doll, and the pumping of his heart and brow sweating wasn't just from the fact that they'll be in big trouble if they get caught. As the little boy was being dragged down another long-hallway, he loudly whispered near Clarke's ear, "Where the heck are we going? And why are we running from Mr. Kane?"
> 
> Clarke snorted at Wells in amusement and continued turning down another hall without another word. Suddenly, Marcus' voice sliced through the sound of squeaky shoes, and loud stomps.
> 
>   
> "You can not just do whatever you want! You have to go back to your lion diplomatic classes, Clarke. Clarke!?" Marcus' voiced raised towards the end of his statement when he turned down a hall and couldn't find the two children that he could've sworn were just here. It was another minute or two, and Marcus perked his head up and widen his eyes a little when he heard the young girl shout from all the way at the other end of the hallway behind Marcus.
> 
>   
> "My best friend is going to be the next alpha mane! And my daddy is the alpha mane. So I can do whatever I want, Mr. Kane!"
> 
> Wells stood next to the blonde girl, wearing a beaming smile directed at Marcus. Clarke had grown a whitetail dusted with gold that peaked from underneath her skirt. The young lioness also had small white roundish ears at the top of her head. Her bright golden hair was flowing waves down her back, and her cheeks and nose were pink from the exertion. Little Clarke was just plain cute, and her sparkling blue eyes were wide with excitement and mischief. Wells had also grown round black ears at the top of his head, but his tail was most likely curled up in his pants. Wells' hair was puffier and much larger from when they both sneaked out of the den. his small nose and round eyes held the same excitement as his partner in crime next to him had. They were both nothing short of adorable, and if Marcus was honest with himself, he didn't have the heart to spoil their fun or be too mad at them. But that didn't mean he still had to put his foot down, even if he knew that they wouldn't listen to him. However, not even in his wildest dreams would he have known what came after this.
> 
>   
> "Now Clarke, what is this talk about Wells being the alpha mane?"
> 
>   
> Wells puffed out his chest, his ears flicking back, and stated proudly, "I already talked to Mrs. Griffin, and she said that I would be an awesome alpha. I will be a king to Arkadia!" Wells' voice rose in volume as he declared his last statement with conviction. Clarke giggled beside Wells. Her tail was swaying from side to side, and her ears were fluffed up and standing tall on her head.
> 
>   
> "And he doesn't need the help of an old man." Marcus couldn't help but quietly chuckle at the rambunctiousness of the blonde. Marcus cleared his throat and crossed his arms, looking at Clarke with his eyebrow raised.
> 
>   
> "Old man? I'll show you who's old when I catch you!" A shriek, a squeal, and a loud, playful growl later, Wells and Clarke were running down the long maze of hallways with Marcus on their tails. Literally.
> 
> When Clarke looked back, her eyes grew huge when she saw that Marcus had shifted completely into his meta form. The clothes on him were tight since he didn't change into his Meta clothes. His fur was a dark, golden brown color. His muzzle was the darkest part of his whole body, and the ears that perched on top of his head was the lightest shade of fur. The added legs strength was helping Marcus gain ground them, and this made both Wells and Clarke panic.
> 
>   
> "Dang it, Wells. He's fast." Clarke panted out as she was starting to tire out from all of the running. 
> 
>   
> Her stomach was cramping up, as well as her thigh muscles that cried desperately to have a break.
> 
>   
> "I know!" Wells shrieked out as his eyes were nervously looking down the numerous hallways. At this rate, they weren't going to be able to escape Marcus. Then a wondrous idea popped up in both of their heads, and suddenly they perkily announced to each other, "The Children's den!"
> 
>   
> The little girl and the boy nodded at each as an affirmation to whatever plan was cooking up in their little heads.
> 
>   
> "We'll split here. The den is only two lefts from here. I'll rally the cubs, you distract Marcus," Clarke gave Wells a thumbs up before abruptly turning left and leaving Wells to fend off Marcus. Wells' face paled when he realized that he might not be able to outrun Marcus long enough to not get caught.
> 
>   
> "Dang it, dang it, dang it, dang it-"
> 
> The loud booming voice of no other than the Alpha himself came from the left of Wells, effectively cutting off Wells childish cursing.
> 
>   
> "I heard you and my Clarke were giving Mr. Kane a hard time," Jake was smiling, and his tone had a teasing lilt to it, but then his bright smile dampened a little.
> 
>   
> "Where's my daughter?" The alpha mane softly questioned.
> 
>   
> At this point, Wells was sweating bullets, and he could hear the footsteps of Marcus getting louder and louder.
> 
>   
>  _Damnit, where the heck is Clarke?_
> 
>   
> "Uhh...you see sir-" Wells started, but then like a godsend, he heard the echoing shouts of a small girl and felt the pitter-patter of little feet drumming against the floor like a war song. His body relaxed and coursed in excitement. It also seemed that Jake heard and felt everything that Well's did because his knowing smile returned brighter tenfold. Then he saw Marcus almost get ran over by a little blonde girl and her large circle of kids. All different sizes, colors, and ages pushing Clarke in a rolling chair. The little boy fully turned around. The girl's tail flicking back and forth, and her round white ears moving in rapid succession ontop of her head. Finally, the group of rowdy kids was close enough for the boy to hear what they were shouting.
> 
>   
>  _**"Wells is going to be the new king!"** _
> 
>   
>  _**"We'll run around all day!"** _
> 
>   
>  _**"And get ice cream all the time!"** _
> 
>   
> Wells' eyes were wide with surprise and a bit of fear since Clarke was approaching Wells a little too fast for his liking. But when Wells realized how close the little girl was, it was too late. The group of kids had already surrounded him, and he was being scooped up into another rolling chair. Clarke giggled and leaned over her own chair to pat Wells' shoulder.
> 
>   
> "I _always_ got your back, Wells."
> 
>   
> The little boy's lion ears flickered down, and his tail strained against his pants as it tried to move. He was beyond happy. He has never had this much fun ever, and he had Clarke to thank for. He lifted his hand to pat Clarke's arm as a sign of gratitude since apparently, his mouth stopped working during all of the commotions. Clarke gave Wells a goofy smile before rising to her feet and addressing the small crowd of kids with a smirk.
> 
>   
> "The little king knows where they hide the ice cream and cake! Let's get it before the elders find us, my pride!"
> 
> The roar of enthusiastic laughs and happy shouting was enough to fire up the kids to push Clarke and Wells down the hallway to where the kitchens were. Leaving a breathless Marcus and a laughing Jake in their wake.

  
🐾

  
The lioness rolled her eyes and curled her tail around the legs of the chair.

The memory brought a warmth to her chest. It sucked that the whole younger end of the pride got in trouble, and they didn't get any sweets for an entire month. Wells and Clarke got in even worse trouble for rallying up the kids. Clarke and Wells had to apologize to each elder individually, Clarke's apology being the most embarrassing since she had to state that it was so unladylike of her to participate in events such as those.

As they said, "It's not befitting of a lady to question authority so blatantly." 

  
It's funny that her own mother is now one of the only ladies on the elders' council board.

Clarke had read history books when she was little, so she wasn't oblivious to the fact that it was 2021 then, and thought processes as old as the elders were way outdated. Their way of thinking was as well, but Lions are incredibly proud creatures, so they would never change their ways because a little girl wanted them too. The tradition became intertwined with their own pride until they became one, and it was almost impossible to separate the two now.

  
Still, Wells got the brunt of it since the elders refused to believe that a little girl was able to rally almost all fifty of the little ones with no help from a boy or her father. Jake tried to defend Wells, but the elders voted against the Alpha's opinion. Wells had to go to three weeks of "detention." Which was pretty much just mopping up the numerous halls and cleaning the bathrooms. However, whenever the little blonde tried to apologize, all Wells did was smile brightly and hug her as if he was saying that it was worth it. Clarke slowly returned to the land of the living once Marcus mentioned the feral ceremony will be taking place in three months' time.

Clarke's heart stuttered in her chest.

The lions' feral ceremony--or more formally called the "Fully-Fledged Blood and Manes"--was probably one of the oldest traditions known to all lion prides around the world. IN a more wild setting, the challenging Alpha would just duel the opposing Alpha and the opposing Alpha's heir to make sure no one will take its place. However, as the years past, they've begun building the ceremony more intricate and adding different challenges to the pot instead of having some fight to the death. Even if the feral ritual is less bloody and animalistic, that didn't mean that it wasn't dangerous. Clarke sighed as Marcus finally started reciting his toast to Wells'. She ripped her gaze from Marcus to Wells.

  
_God, I hope you don't do anything stupid._

  
🐾

  
The blonde found herself once again sniffing out that familiar scent. The green-eyes hyena wasn't behind the political science building, so Clarke stalked towards the edge of the School, following the smell of pine trees and rock. The woman turned down a hallway and found Lexa sitting on a lonely bench in the middle of the long hallway in all of her ethereal glory. This time Lexa was shifted in her human form, and Clarke has never seen anything more beautiful. Her brown hair looked soft and almost glowed around her head against the small rays of the sun. Her lips looked soft, thin, and the slight bulging muscles in her arms and legs under Lexa's skirt and dress shirt made Clarke's eyes dilate. And here she thought all the girls at this School dressed only to be comfortable. As evidence, Clarke only wore her sweat pants and a tight-fitting black shirt that showed a generous cleavage. Her hair was tied up in a messy bun, and she wore glasses that were threatening to fall off her face if she stared at Lexa for too long. Clarke took a cautious step towards Lexa but froze when she saw Lexa snap her head sharply to look at Clarke. Her eyes were green.

  
_So green._

  
She wanted to get lost into those eyes, and there was something eerily familiar about them. It wasn't like a warm feeling you get when you meet a friend from a long time ago.

  
_No._

This feeling was instinctual, and it was deeply rooted in her brain. It wasn't warm or kind, either. It was dark and icy, and it took hold of the back of her brain like long black vines that had thorns prickling her mind and soul. It was, in other words, breathtaking and frightening. But it was small enough for now that she could ignore the feeling, and instead, focus on the warmth that radiated through her body when Lexa offered her a small smile, and softly uttered, "Clarke."

  
Clarke's face broke out into a broad smile, and she bounded over to Lexa with her same books from a day ago. She hadn't necessarily missed the brunette, but she was definitely happy to see her. 

  
Lexa's eyes were watching every one of Clarke's movements like a hawk. She stepped in front of the brunette, looking at her with questions in her gaze. Lexa moved her backpack and slid over to allow Clarke's room. Clarke's eyes were bright once again as she plopped herself on the spot next to the beautiful brunette. Lexa glanced to her left to catch the sky blue eyes that haunted her mind almost as much as the dark Doe eyes. It was surreal. Seeing her so happy when just two years ago, they were filled with so many stirring dark emotions. It was weird seeing the difference in Lexa's own feelings. She was willing to kill this lioness. 

  
Not just willing.

  
Wanting to kill this girl. 

  
But looking at her now, beautiful blonde hair and a smile painting her lips happily sitting next to Lexa. She's never been happier that someone did call the cops. But she couldn't help how guilty she felt for each bruise on the girl's body, all because she couldn't handle her own grief. She still can't help the fact that she's so afraid to touch the blonde lioness. Her skin looked so soft. Maybe a bit so, since she felt like if she grabbed Clarke with the tiniest ounce of force, she would leave a bruise. 

  
This was also, of course, all in her head, and she was overreacting. But, still, she won't take any chances with this girl. 

  
Because for some reason, this wretched woman with beautiful eyes and hair was already able to worm her way into Lexa's thoughts that weren't dark. She watched Clarke's lips move and ask, "So, are you waiting for anyone?"

Lexa smirked and leaned on her knees with her forearms playfully staring at Clarke.

  
"I think the person I was waiting for already arrived." The beautiful blush the spread across Clarke's cheek was well worth the cheesy comment that came out of Lexa's mouth.   
"Well-I...um, your welcome?"

Lexa let out a full laugh, and Clarke's heart flipped. 

  
Or maybe it was Lexa's.

  
Whoever it was, Clarke hid behind her blonde hair to obscure the brunette's view of her burning cheeks. But the hand that shot out that and grabbed Clarke's chin made Clarke's eyes grow wide. A commanding voice sharply stated, "Look at me." When Clarke's eyes looked straight into Lexa's Emerald gaze. The eyes of those eyes were dark, and there was definitely lust swimming in those irises as well as other emotions that Clarke didn't want to think about. They were fanning each other faces with slow breaths. Lexa's eyes half-lidded, another command was uttered from the alpha hyena, "Don't hide your face from me." The power was sharp, and it felt like a slap to the face for Clarke. 

  
_Stupid Lion pride_. 

  
She tried to stop the onslaught of dark thoughts that was sure to show through her gaze, but the darkening of Clarke's gaze was instant, and the statement whispered from the blonde's lips was as well.

  
"You are _not my_ alpha."

  
Clarke tilted her head in Lexa's hold and uttered huskily, "Stop telling me what to do, _Heda_."

The name slipped out of Clarke's mouth, and the widening of the other girl's eyes and the faltering in Lexa's hold on her was telling Clarke's statement had hit Lexa. The brunette girl looked almost hurt as she removed her hand as if Clarke's skin had burned her. Muttering an apology, Lexa shifted slightly farther from the blonde and faced her upper body away from Clarke. Clarke finally realized what happened after she came out of her dazed state, and looked down at her lap. She moved her lips to say something, but nothing came, and Clarke just decided to give up on trying to apologize to the brunette. After a few minutes of brief silence, one of them finally spoke up.

  
"Why do you do that?" Clarke softly inquired, her gaze slowly moving towards the side of Lexa's face. The brunette head turned, and Lexa's eyes peered into Clarke's sky cerulean eyes before responding, "I don't know yet."

  
Another silence washed over them, but this time Clarke didn't as tense as she way just minutes ago. Instead, she just felt confused about the mystery that was Lexa Forrester. Clarke opened her mouth to ask another question, but Lexa asked first.

  
"Why do you hide from yourself?" Lexa asked while chewing her bottom lip in concentration as if she was already trying to formulate the answer in her own head.

  
Clarke's eyes flickered down to Lexa's lips, and she sighed. It angered Clarke that Lexa could just know things. It wasn't like they met on a regulat basis. This was only the second time they've ran into each other. Hoe could the brunette have figured Clarke out so quickly? Clarke could barely tell what whether Lexa even liked being around her.

In the end, clarke gritted her teeth and slowly drawled out, "I don't know what your talking about."

  
The Brunette woman's lips curled up into a small smile and nodded before resting her back against the School's brick walls and letting out a short breath.

  
"Maybe we will both figure it out soon," Lexa breathed out, but Clarke had an inkling suspicion that they were both lying to the other.

Actually no.

  
Lexa knew it.

  
Clarke knew it.

  
The conversation between the blonde and her best friend two days ago clearly shows that she knows exactly why she doesn't like her meta form.

  
🐾

  
"Woah! Lexa? Like the Lexa Forrester? Like Alexandria Dubuk Forrester!? Holy Shi-"

Clarke rolled her eyes and loudly whispered, "for fuck sakes, can't you keep it down?"

The meta Doberman quieted down, but the shit-eating grin still stayed etched onto her face. Clarke pursed her lips and leaned back into her chair before taking a calming breath and stating, "Yes. her name is Lexa, but what's so special about her?"

Octavia's long ears twitched, and the rhythmic thumping of Octavia's small tail stopped. Clarke looked at her best friend sincerely this time, but the look she was meant with was one of pure disbelief and awe.

  
"How can you not have heard of the Lexa Forrester?" Octavia's eyes almost looked awestruck as she stared into the distance with a dramatic flair that made the blonde roll her eyes.

  
"She's the ideal role model for all of us lowly canines." The Doberman smirked with her eyes close, showing off her teeth to her best friend.

  
"She is _the_ matriarch of almost all of the hyenas in Polis. Everyone just calls her Heda though. Hyenas not being in her coalition are either people who her family has banished or the families of those who have been banished," Octavia stated with an air of whimsical longing. Clarke softly laughed at her best friend's blatant fawning over the hyena.

"Well, thank you for telling me, O. But we need to talk about the elephant in the room," Clarke responds, but then a snort from the left of the cafe sounded suspiciously like an elephant blowing it trunk, and Clarke receded into herself out of embarrassment.

A loud laugh from the brunette told Clarke that her choice of words wasn't so ideal. The blonde cleared her throat and fixed her best friend with a withering glare. Octavia clasped her right hand onto the back of her neck and muttered an apology to Clarke. But not without giving Clarke another bright-eyed smile.

  
"Okay, okay! Sorry, princess...I'll take the discussion more sincerely," The small brunette remarked while she straightened her back. Indicating to the blonde that Octavia was serious now. Clarke nodded her head and took a minute of silence to gather her thoughts and decide what she was going to say to her best friend. 

  
Clarke took a deep breath and softly voiced, "Why are you bringing up events in the past. My past. To prove a point to Raven?" A pregnant pause encompassed them as Clarke looked on to see her best friend helplessly looking for words to answer the question. Her snout twitched, and the tips of her ears were moved back farther behind her head.

Finally, the meta Doberman dropped her shoulders in defeat and replied, "I don't want my own Gir-" Octavia bit her lip and tried again.

  
"I don't want to be reminded every day that I'm some beast that needs to be tamed."

Octavia's eyes glazed over in unhushed tears before she started again, "By my own friend no less." The meta squirmed in her seat as she felt Clarke watching her very carefully but never uttering a word.

The meta let out a shuddering breath, her claws digging into the hardwood of the table.  
"I know it wasn't my place to bring up past events that we are all trying to cope with, but damnit, Clarke!" The small outburst at the end made a few heads turn, but Clarke growled at them to mind their business before turning back to her best friend. Clarke's own heart squeezed when she saw that the meta dog had started crying. The tears were dampening the dark brown fur of the meta's cheeks. Creating shady, wet trails down her cheeks to the tips of her collarbone. The blonde grabbed a napkin from the dispenser in the middle of their table and handed it over. But before Clarke could reply to Octavia's mini outburst, the meta softly spoke. 

  
"Don't you understand? That night still haunts you. It still haunts all of us. I can see it in your eyes."

Octavia closed her eyes for a split second before gazing into Clarke's eyes.

  
"You're so damn scared to become your animal; you lock yourself in your room for just so you can shift into your meta form. You hate what you are...so much."

The blonde reeled back from the meta with wide eyes. Clarke has never thought of that. It was only her animal, but her animal was the most significant part of who she is. No matter how hard she tries to act like, it's not there. And to think that her friends really did feel hurt that Clarke might never trust herself again, only made the blonde's insides twist tighter.

  
"I won't deny anything you have said to me, but this is supposed to be about Raven. Not me," Octavia nodded her head and inhaled the relaxing aromas of the cafe.

"Raven's a difficult subject."

"Raven's difficult period," Clarke breathed, "But that's what makes her, her."

Octavia seemes to be deep in thought for a couple of minutes. Her ears were relaxes against the side of her head. The meta Doberman's snout twitched every so often. 

Then a subtle smile appeared on the meta's lips.

  
"Right, but may I ask you one more question?"

  
Clarke breathed through her nose and gave the canine a slight nod to show that she may.

  
Octavia's faced scrunched up, and her snout twitched again before she so smugly chirped, "Sooo, is Lexa hot? or is she just okay?" 

  
Clarke groaned and let her head fall onto the table. The joyous laughs vibrating the table only made the blonde groan louder.

  
🐾

  
Clarke peered at Lexa before slowly peeling herself off the bench.

  
"Maybe we can find the answer...together?" Clarke asked her cerulean blue eyes gazing right into Lexa's as she offered her hand as an offer of friendship.

  
_Damn, how many times can I get lost in those eyes?_

  
It was a minute. Maybe five. Hell, it could've been an hour for all Clarke knew, but when Lexa stood up gazed back down at Clarke, she lost all sense of time and reality. The smirk growing on Lexa's and the encompassing heat of Lexa's slender hand around her own flung Clarke into another galaxy with her flushing body and rosy cheeks.

  
"I think I would like that, Clarke."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof I hope y'all liked that. Sorry for posting late ^^ but lemme know what y'all thought and I'm open to criticism and questions of any kind! See y'all next time. ;3


	4. Who are you?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clarke finally turns into a feral animal, but she can't speak. Flashbacks, and Anya teasing Lexa about her not-so-acceptable crush on Clarke.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OKAY, so I completely glossed over this while I started writing how everything is going to go in the story, and I realized one super weird thing. GIRL SPOTTED HYENAS HAVE DICKS.
> 
> SoOOooo um xD I have no clue what I'm going to do with that. I'm trying to keep with the animals' biology and their mannerisms as close as possible with the story, but I-  
> I don't even know what I'm gonna do with this lmao.  
> I guess y'all can decide if Lexa has a dick or not. It honestly won't change the story that much, so I'm fine with it either way.

# Who are You? What are you meant to be?

### "You hate what you are...so much"

"Damnit, I did it all for you!" Her hands were pulling at her hair. Streams of tears cascading down their tan face, and blood smeared across her body.

_But her eyes._

_Oh God her green eyes_

  
They were crazed mixed with anger, confusion, and darkness. But what really scared the woman was how much love was in them. Their eyes were filled with so much love, she was overflowing with it. But she wasn't smiling. She had her teeth pulled back to bare her teeth in a vicious snarl. Their snout was scrunched up with angry lines creasing her forehead. The girl wasn't sure if she should feel safe or afraid of the woman before her. Her stance was rigid, her back hunched over, claws out with prominent blood staining her hands, and ripped clothing.

  
"I killed. So many to come back to you. I've beaten so many people, so I could hold you." 

  
The bloody woman stalked closer to her. The air was quiet, her heart was beating, but she barely breathed. Her legs were trembling, and she was trying not to cry in the presence of the woman in blood. Two sides of herself were warring with each other. One was absolutely terrified of the creature standing before her. That side of her was responsible for the trembling in her knees and the quivering of her bottom lip. On the other hand, she was so enraptured almost to the point of sick flattery. 

  
"I hate what I've become for you."

  
This woman, this thing was starting to trip over itself as it stalked closer to her. Bumping into the walls, and looking like a drunk bastard while the woman backed up. It was so quiet and tense that she felt she could just choke on the tension between them.

  
" _Please_..." The woman's voice trailed off when it's claws sunk deep into her hips. A heartwrenching scream tore through the silence, and her own eyes blurred with tears. But, when she looked up into its eyes, all she saw was encompassing love, and the side that was scared of this bloody mess of a creature finally won.

  
_This isn't right._

  
"Can you feel it? I've hurt so many, so I can do this again." The creature's breathing picked as she backed the woman deeper into her own house. Her head was tilted to the side while she stared down the girl trembling in her claws.

  
"I won't let anyone take you away from me, _Kitten_. Not like with Costia."

  
"Wha-"

  
But the creature shushed her with a bloody, sharp finger to her trembling lips. A cold smirk spread across her lips, and the bloody mess's face was vacant and empty except for her eyes. Which still shone brightly with their obsessive desire and rage.

  
"I hate what you turned me into, Kitten. I hate you so much."

  
A growl, a roar, a loud audible snap, and the silent gushing of blood.

  
The last thing Clarke heard was the barely audible words of the creature.

  
"...I'm doing it all for us."

🐾

Clarke woke up with a loud gasp and shot straight up from bed with cold sweat. Her breathing was erratic, and her hands were flexing against the crisp satin sheets, which felt right to her overheated body. It took the blonde a couple of seconds to realize she was crying, and a minute to realize she was screaming too. Clarke clamped her mouth shut so as not to attract attention to herself, but the damage had already been done. Her mother came bursting into her room with a slam against the wall and crazy be hair. Her eyes were blown wide with worry, and the older woman's own lion ears, roundish and tan, sat on top of her mother's head twitching back and forth. Abby was anxious. That much was clear.

  
"Honey, are you okay?" Questioned Abby.

  
Clarke fixated her gaze into her mother's eyes and just kept staring at her while the younger blonde was on the verge of hyperventilating. The older dirty blonde nodded her head and sat down at the bottom of her daughter's bed. 

  
The girl felt the bed dip, but she kept her eyes trained on her mother's. Not once moving them anywhere else.

  
Abby opened her mouth several times to say something to her only daughter but decided to settle on pursing her lips and tearing her gaze away from Clarke's red-eyed teary ones.

  
They sat like that in intangible silence for a few minutes.

  
Clarke was about to ask her mother to politely leave, but then Abby said something that thoroughly surprised Clarke.

  
"Come with me to Arkadia pride lands. And bring your school clothes," explained the older woman as she swiftly stood up from the bed. It was 3 o'clock in the morning.

  
Clarke straightened her back and inquired, "Mom, What are you-"

  
She was interrupted by a dismissive wave of her mom's hand.

  
"You'll know when we get there," Abby voiced.

🐾

"Mom, I really do not feel comfortable shifting like this," Clarke grumbled as she slid off her baby blue underwear. Along the way, Abby had shifted into her meta form, and she was telling her daughter the same while watching.

  
Abby chuckled and beamed at the younger blonde.

  
"Oh, don't be so shy. I've seen you naked plenty of times," whispered the mother as she stared at her daughters sprouting white tail and ears.

"Well, that still doesn't make this any less weird," the young woman grumbled under her breath.

  
Abby pretended like she didn't hear what Clarke said and decided to gaze out of the mouth of the 'cave' towards Arkadia's territory. Down one of the long hallways, there's an area where the pride can use to change out of there clothes and become feral. Then there's a switch of some kind that lifts the barrier to their lands. This area is commonly called the "The Sky Cave," and it can be found right behind the Elders Council den on the perimeter of apartments and houses. It was a big classy dome that looked like it was created from simmering crystals. It was double mirrored too. Meaning that anyone looking in can't see what's inside, but the ones looking out can.  
Either way, The Sky cave was beautiful, but that didn't make Clarke any less coherent to the fact she was a naked meta lioness in front of her mother, who had also begun to take off her own clothes.

"Mom, you know how I feel about shifting into a meta lioness. No less a feral lioness," Clarke murmured as she squirmed in her sport farther from the gate to the Arks pride lands.

Clarke proceeded, "I don't think I'm ready for whatever you want me to do." 

  
Her mother sighed and paused, unhooking her dark burgundy bra before unbuckling it and sliding it off.  
"Look, sweetie. All of the lions in our pride that are your age have or are close to becoming humane in their feral form," Abby softly stated.  
"I know you're uncomfortable, and I understand. But you need to get over your fear of yourself and face it head-on. And the first way to doing that is teaching you how to feel comfortable in your own fur," Abby proudly explained her tan furry ears perked up, and the end of the older woman's tail swayed.  
Clarke stayed silent and forgot about the awkwardness of being bare in front of her mother. Clarke knows that she truly does need to learn how to live with her animal. Trying to suppress it, the way the blonde was currently doing can be deadly. She pondered her mother's word in complete silence. Her face was steely and pensive, but inside, she was terrified.

_What if I get beaten again?_

_What if I lose control?_

  
_What if my animal is more ruthless than I though?_

  
_Oh God, what if I start craving meat..._

  
"Calm down, Clarke. You're in a safe place where no one can hurt you," Abby exclaimed as she went to wrap her arms around her daughter but then hesitated and thought better of it. Abby cleared her throat and stepped away from her daughter when she saw a flash shame and anger cross her daughter's centers. No matter how hard Abby tries, she can't break down the icy walls that her daughter has built up to specifically keep her out. Abby sighed, pressed a couple of buttons so that the gates opened up. When the mother meta lioness glimpsed at her daughter, Abby softly smiled. Abby cleared her throat and walked back into the room where her daughter was and immediately started shifting. The surprised squeak and the breaking of bones almost made Abby laugh, but she stifled it with a small groan of pain. The younger blonde closed her eyes as to not watch her mother painfully shift. The mother's legs broke, and her fur grew a bit darker, and Abby shriveled to the ground. It was only a minute, maybe ten before Clarke could clearly hear animalistic panting and the sound of long claws scraping against the pavement. She tentatively opened her eyes, and they were meant with large feline-like brown ones. Slightly bigger than her mother's meta form. Her body was long, and her pelt was thicker and darker than her meta form. Her tail swished from side to side, giving her rigid, assertive stature a more relaxed appearance. The mother lioness gave the white meta lioness a small inclination of her head as if to say 'it is now your turn.

Clarke breathed through her nose and out through her mouth.

  
 _'This is it,'_ She thought.

  
Her body began relaxing, and the bones in her body began cracking and sliding inside her body. But Clarke didn't notice any of this. Instead, she focused on her breathing and her wispy thoughts.

Which was now starting to float out of control in her head.

  
_I wonder if Lexa would ever get to see my meta._

  
The Sky cave was quiet and except for the harsh breaths coming from Clarke, and the clinking of nails coming from Abby.

_Would she think I'm a monster if she knew what happened to me?_

The mother lioness had started circling her daughter predatorily, but her body language was giving off a completely different vibe. Almost as if she was worried.

_Her eyes are so green. Maybe I've seen them before._

Her thoughts were becoming less prominent, and they began to fade to the back of her mind. Clarke had shifted entirely. The young lioness's body looked soft and untouched by the sun itself. She was white as fresh snow, and sky blue eyes were a stark contrast against the white pelt. Her claws were razor-sharp and black, but they were safely tucked away into her paws. The white lioness lay on her side, breathing heavily, her forefeet flexing every few seconds. She's never changed into a feral lion at will, not since the police incident. This body felt foreign, and her mind was almost absent. Like her head was somewhere else entirely. Everything was dizzy, muted, and overwhelming all at the same time. Her senses felt maxed out. Like she could feel the slightest of vibrations in the ground, and she could hear the dozens of breaths released from adults and children within the apartments around them. Cars honking on the streets--which had to at least have been a mile away from their territory--the insistent ringing from the blinding white lights in the corner, the coldness of the floor she was still laying on.   
What jolted Clarke out of this hazy, overwhelming feeling of her newly acquired senses was the incredibly deeper, more regal voice of the mother lioness standing in front of her.  
"Little Eira..." Abby murmured softly like the words themselves were made out of glass. The mother lioness peered down at the deep cerulean eyes of her daughter. It's been so long since she's seen her little girl shift into a full feral lioness. 

  
_I made this. I made her...we made her, Jake._

Abby's eyes almost welled up with tears for a split second before, Abby shook of her crippling human emotions and focused on the wobbly lioness before her.

Clarke tried to stand on all four paws, but all her legs seemed to buckle under her body. She felt much bigger and shorter, naked, but suffocated under her own white pelt. Her bulkier yet softer paws weren't as nimble as her human or meta paw-type fingers. It was offputting. However, that didn't matter. Clarke was going to try her damn best to ignore all of these predicaments. 

Clarke heard loud and clear what was uttered from the older lioness' lips, but she didn't understand what the words meant or how her mother was able to speak. The young lioness knew that this older lioness was her mother, but she couldn't quite understand how she knew, why she knew. It was eerie, and the memories of who this lion might be were hazy and floating along the edges of her brain. Abby grunted at Clarke to follow her out into the long expanse of wilderness that was their lands. The white lioness happily followed her mother with wobbly hind legs like a newborn deer. As she walked side by side with the tan lioness, Clarke took in everything that was around her with child-like awe. There was a vast expanse of cracked dirt and tufts of green grass here and there and a big tree towards the right of the Ark's area. The sky above almost seemed bluer through her bright feline-like eyes.

Clarke looked down at her white paws now stained with the dust of the earth. With confusion, she stomped on the ground like a child would stomp in a puddle of water. Dust flew into the air around the pair, and Abby let out a gruff laugh that sounded more like a toned-down quiet roar. It's been a long time since she's seen her little lion so carefree, so the older lioness didn't have in her to tell her daughter to calm down. Instead, she allowed Clarke to continue to stomp around in the dust cloud, her tail swishing back and forth, and her ears flicked forward. Clarke had no idea why she was so amazed by the simple display of dust flying around her, or why the dirt on her purely white paws confused her. Maybe it had to do with something with the way it felt against her fur.

It could also have reminded her of a memory. 

  
And maybe just maybe her animal was happy in a way? To remember human experiences in her animal form. No matter what it was, it made the lioness happy, so she wanted to keep doing it with her barely functioning legs and wide curious eyes.

Abby slowly walked away from Clarke and her display of playfulness. She was about to shout at the lioness over her shoulder to come when she felt the warm weight on her side of her daughter. Abby let out a surprised grumbling roar and was about to check her daughter to not surprise her like that when a loud purr sounded out in the open from the white lioness. Abby gave her daughter a sideways glance and was met with an outstretched back and closed eyes. Her body was almost shaking with the strength of the young lioness' purrs. It considerably warmed Abby's heart, and the older lioness fully tilted her head to lick the white lioness's head with care. It felt leathery and broad against the softness of Clarke's white fur.

The purrs grew in volume as the young lioness bumped her head under her mother's affectionately before gingerly stepping away. Her mouth formed into what the other older lioness could only describe as an attempt at a smile. 

Abby clicked her large tongue against the roof of her mouth and gruffly stated, "Lets's go, Eira. There's somewhere we need to be." 

Clarke shook her head, still perplexed by the name and the way her mother was able to form words. Abby broke out in a light trot towards the big Boba tree in the distance. Upon closer inspection, The lioness, still getting used to her wobbly four legs, saw that in front of the tree was a waterhole sparkling in the setting moonlight. 

The closer her mother trotted to the water(and the closer Clarke floundered), the clearer it became that they weren't in Arkadia's territory anymore. They were past the posts that marked their land, and the big Boba tree was enormous and getting closer, but her mother abruptly stopped. Causing the white lioness to collide into her mother's bottom.

Clarke almost let out a confused whine to her mother when Clarke caught glimpses of other feral animals at the watering hole. Abby sat down and indicated with a sweep of her tail for Clarke to sit beside her. The white lioness sat next to her mother with her head held up high. Her claws were out, and her haunches and back were tense in anticipation. However, the lioness wasn't sure why she was so anxious. 

_They were animals just like her. Right?_

Abby didn't spare a glance at her when she muttered, "You shouldn't fear yourself, Eira. Just like how they don't fear themselves."

Clarke's back slackened, and her claws retracted back into her paw.

"I know you can't remember right now, and all of these emotions, your feelings appear foreign now. But the more you allow your animal to be," The older lioness resumed, her eyes closed, "You'll see what you were meant for."

Clarke gazed at the animals drinking and playing at the waterhole with ease. There were several different species of animals at this watering hole. Three zebras--which look strangely familiar--, a hippo, and even a cheetah laying with a deer: all relaxing together at the watering hole. It was abnormal. At least in Clarke's eyes. 

The words that came out of her mother's mouth still confused the young lioness, but those last words brought the first crystal clear human emotion. 

Grief.

And it took over the lioness's whole being from her trembling body to the burning of tears in her wide sky eyes. Her teeth clenched, the lioness couldn't stop the stream of tears that slid down her white furry cheeks. Going to the tips of her muzzle to the bottom of the chin, the tears wouldn't stop until the first few drops hit the ground. 

At this point, Clarke was openly sobbing, and she was choking on her own cries every few breaths the lioness took. 

_Why am I crying?_

The first memory hit her like a freight train.

🐾

> "Come on, Wells! There's this place across our school that my new friends hang out at," younger Clarke exclaimed as she tugged Wells down the city streets with bustling cars and adults as well as kids their age getting out of school. Clarke was dressed in a navy blue jumper, white shirt underneath, frilly white socks, and black glossy slippers to finish the look. Wells was wearing cache pants and a white button-up shirt.
> 
> "F-friends!?" Wells stuttered out as they came to a stoplight at a crosswalk. The young blonde only nodded rapidly, and once the light turn green, she took off down the road with her best friend in tow.
> 
> They both just got out of elementary school. Wells attends the school across from Clarke's, and they would usually catch the bus together. However, today Clarke was adamant about Wells meeting her new friends. They haven't been able to talk that much ever since they started going to separate schools. The only time they really get to speak is when they are on the school bus together. 
> 
> But Clarke was about to change that by having Wells meet her new friends. They turned right down a corner, and there was a small fence that blocked off a big grassy mountain. (At least it looked like a mountain to eyes of one 8-year-old and one 9-year-old) Next to the hill was a waterfall that fell into a soft stream down into the trees below. Wells was stumped at the fence with Clarke. Where were they supposed to go now?
> 
> His question was answered when Clarke climbed over the fence and landed on her feet. Wells stood on the opposite side of the railing, gawking at Clarke with his mouth open, making Clarke giggle.
> 
> "Close your mouth, Wells, and climb over the fence," declared Clarke.
> 
> "Clarke, I'm pretty sure we're not supposed to be here," Wells responded.
> 
> "Come on. We never get to do anything fun. Ever since you got in trouble with those old lions-"
> 
> "Those old lions had me cleaning the bathrooms for a year!"
> 
> "Now, that's an over-exaggeration."
> 
> The two continued bickering across the fence until a voice sounded over the arguing pair.
> 
> "Hey! Is there anyone there?"
> 
> Clarke's eyes widened, and she tried to keep herself from appearing panicked. Wells was having more of a problem not showing it than Clarke. The young blonde beckoned Wells over the fence with a hurried wave of her hand and urgent eyes.
> 
> Wells bit his lip and whispered, "That's too far up-"
> 
> But Clarke quickly cut-off Well's sentence, "We're cats, Wells, you'll be fine!"
> 
> Wells was starting to climb the fence but briefly hesitated. He was going to correct Clarke by telling her that what she said was grossly wrong, but the steps and voice were getting closer to them. Wells resumed climbing the fence, and when he looked below him, he saw Clarke holding her arms out. Ready to catch him. The steps were almost near them now.
> 
> "Come on, Wells," Clarke harshly whispered, "I'll catch you."
> 
> Wells took in a deep breath before swinging his legs over the fence and pushing himself off it. Clarke planted her feet into the ground and was about to catch him, but the only thing she caught was his feet. 
> 
> He planted face-first into the ground. The little blonde shook her head at her friend and started dragging him behind a rock, so they wouldn't be spotted by the adult. A bright circle of light showed on the rock they were hiding behind and cast a shadowed over their bodies. Clarke felt Wells tense next to her, and she stayed completely still until the light moved somewhere else. The sun was only starting to set, so it wasn't too late.
> 
> Clarke looked over the rock they hid behind and saw that it was a meta buffalo with a flashlight in a security outfit. The water buffalo lingered there for a while. Shining his flashlights in different places before deciding that he was satisfied and left.
> 
> The duo let out a sigh of relief, and Clarke got up to dust herself off. Wells stayed on the ground catching his breath and looked at Clarke with disbelief.  
> "I can't believe I did that," Wells muttered under his breath. Clarke heard and threw over her shoulder a mischievous glare before crouching down to help Wells up.
> 
> "Well, you better believe it. We're almost near the cave."
> 
> Wells looked around and then looked back at Clarke with an eyebrow raised.
> 
> "I don't see a cave," Wells said questioningly.
> 
> Clarke started walking towards the waterfall. Once she was close enough to where the water met the stream, she turned to Wells and stated like it was the most obvious thing, "It's behind the waterfall."
> 
> Well's eyes widened, but before he could tell Clarke that they should get back to the pride, she stepped through the waterfall, leaving Wells outside.
> 
> Behind the waterfall was a spacious cave with a cluster of children huddled around a lamp murmuring quietly to one another. There were at least five that Clarke knows. A girl and boy named Octavia and Bellamy, both Doberman puppies, Raven, a blue jay, and finally, Monty, a mongoose, and Jasper, a ferret. There were three others that Clarke didn't know about.
> 
> Clarke smiled brightly at the group and cheerfully chirped, "Hey, guys."
> 
> Collective greetings came from the group of kids, most of them smiling back at Clarke. Others staring at her with distrust. Wells finally stepped into the room, and all eyes landed on him. The atmosphere was quiet and uncertain. 
> 
> Clarke cleared her throat and shifted next to her friend and explained to the group, "This is my best friend, Wells."
> 
> The room was quiet for a few more moments before Raven got up and offered her hand to Wells.
> 
> "I'm Raven. Nice to meet you," Raven greeted.
> 
> And just like that, Wells was "accepted" into the group of elementary children. Clarke let out a breath that she didn't even know she was holding and beamed at her friend Raven and gives her a hug. After Wells responded in-kind to Raven, Clarke went over to the three she's never seen before. The one in the middle raises his eyebrow at the approaching blonde girl coming for them on the opposite side of the lamp. Clarke sits down next to Octavia and gives the puppy a hug before turning towards the other kids.
> 
> "So, who are you?"
> 
> 🐾

The memory abruptly stopped after that, but Clarke was still emotionally unstable. 

Why was she still crying?

There was nothing in her brief flashback that would've warranted such strong emotions. She was angry, bitter, and, most of all, scared. By why was she scared of a simple meeting between friends? 

_No. There has to be more to that memory._

This hazy, memory loss business was getting tiresome. Why couldn't she just retain her memories? Why did her human mind have to be so distant from her animal's?   
She felt like she was trapped in limbo between different bodies. When she became coherent with what was happening around her, she felt her mother's comforting warmth. Purring gently, almost coaxing the white lioness back to unconsciousness.

_Wait._

  
_I passed out!?_

The wispy thought jolted the feral lioness to sit up with wide confusing eyes. Disrupting her mother's purring, and the warmth that laid against her side. Clarke shook her head and made a beeline towards the cave. Tripping and crossing her paws all the way towards the cave. She didn't pay attention to the clear sound of hurried footsteps coming towards and weird lion sounds, probably warning her to slow down. 

But she didn't listen to any of it. Not until she was in front of Arkadia's gates growling and pacing back and forth with an irritated look in the white lioness's eyes. The young lion just needed to get back in there. For what reason, she wasn't so sure at the moment. But something was telling her that she needed to get back into the sky cave.

_Why the hell isn't this damn gate opening?_

Several minutes later, her mother came up beside her with an irritated growl and stepped on some type of glowing pad that opened the gates.

Clarke sighed and lurched into the room with such a ferocious matter you would think she was hunting something. Abby gradually shuffled into the room but hesitated when she heard a pain-ridden roar and bones cracking and rearranging. 

Abby watched her daughter completely shift from feral animal to a human lying in a gasping, sweaty heap on the floor.

The gasping blonde didn't move for a few moments. Still taking in all of the sensations and new memories of when she was a feral animal. However, the memories of when she was a lion were distant and blurry. All she could see was her paws covered with dirt and what her mother looked like as a lioness.

_And being called...Eira?_

That name bewildered the blonde, but she had no time to examine the name any further. Abby was shifting herself into a human, while Clarke finally caught her wind and stood up on shaky legs to slip her clothes on. The air was tense, but Clarke couldn't pinpoint an exact reason why it was, or why her mother seemed so shaken up. Ashamed even.

Abby wordlessly dressed, and occasionally glanced back at Clarke, staring out a nothing with a pensive look.

🐾

  
"Woah, princess. Right on the dot."

"Murphy, here? Shocking," Clarke scowled at the smug grin painted on the boy's face. His seat right next to hers.

"We've been in art together for the past like 10 years, Clarke. Keep up," John drawled out. Murphy's is probably the bluntest, sassiest person of her friend group.

Reyes the only one rivavling him.

There was something so annoying about his character that Clarke eventually had to learn and to deal with his quirks and teasing habits through time. It was challenging, but throughout their school days, the young blonde was able to connect with Murphy on one point.

And that was art.

Surprisingly, John was extremely articulate when it came to art. She's even seen him flash a sincere smile at her from time to time in this classroom. It was his safe place, just as much as it was hers. Clarke was more than willing to share it with him.

"How could I forgot someone with such a massive ego. It's practically in my face all the time," Clarke snarked as she put her bag down and sat down.

The class quieted down, and both of the only art majors in their friend group went to work with their separate art projects. Murphy working on sculptures and glass. Clarke starting her acrylic art piece and polishing charcoal sketches. Murphy always had a fancy for tactile art pieces. Paintings that are more 3D and tangible are still his favorite. However, Clarke had more of an infinity to capturing split-second moments on canvas. 

Funny since she has the memory of a like child.

The rest class went on smoothly with Murphy making snide remarks, and Clarke trying (and failing) to ignore the said remarks. Once class was over, Clarke and Murphy walk side by side to the campus commons. Clarke had at least two hours until her next session, and her friends texted her multiple times to show up to their friend group get-together. With Raven applying for an internship to Nasa, Octavia training to become a cop and soccer, Bellamy being a Police officer 'mentor,' Jasper and Monty doing God knows what with their "Drug Empire," and finally Clarke and Murphy trying to make it happen with their art. The group was busy with their own lives, but that still didn't stop them from finding time to all hang out, especially at parties.

Oh Lord, the parties.

The Blake's parties were probably the most well-known parties around Polis. You can not know the Blakes without having been to at least one of their parties.

Clarke and Murphy arrived at the campus commons. It was just a big square with a fountain in the middle, and shops spread across the square. Cobble pathways were leading to the fountain and stone benches dispersed around the Campus Commons.

There were tables near the shops, and that's where their friend group--or what their highschool club name was called-- 'The delinquents' are gathered. Bellamy noticed the pair approaching and waved them over with a smile. Clarke produced a bright smile and pulled Murphy to the Delinquents table.

"Hey, guys," Clarke hummed to the group, and they responded with a mix of 'hey's and 'hi's. Bellamy stepped forward with a warm smile and gave Clarke and John a friendly hug. 

Squishing their bodies together and making the blonde squeal, "Damnit, Bell, you're squeezing me too hard!"

"I haven't seen both of you in so long. Besides, I'm trying to get away from the tension between my sister and Raven. What's that about anyway?" Bellamy whispered the last part into Clarke's ear, making her sigh exasperatingly. Clarke glanced over Bellamy's shoulder and saw Jasper and Monty being the nerds they were and messing with an old computer, Raven in her full meta form puffing up her neck feathers in clear annoyance. The talons on her feet clinking against the pavement. Then Clarke looked over at Octavia, who had the same look of annoyance but in her human form and her hand clenched around a glass of water.

_I guess our talk last Tuesday really didn't help much._

"It's nothing, alright. I'll go talk to them," answered Clarke as she went to sit between her two best friends. But what the blonde didn't notice were two smoldering green eyes glaring at her from across the courtyard.

🐾

"Lexa...Lexa!"

The brunette tore her eyes away from the young blonde and glared at her friend with a frown.

"What, Anya," Lexa asked with irritation laced in her voice.

"Finally. You've been spacing out recently. what's up with that?" Anya asked as she popped a fry into her mouth. Lexa didn't reply but instead returned her gaze to Clarke, who was now sitting between two other girls. Anya followed her gaze and lowly growled when she saw who it was.

"Oh. I see. Arkadia's darling. Those lions are the worst kind of lions. They think they're above anyone and everyone," Anya seethed. The line of fur on the back of her neck puffed out, giving Anya an angry mohawk. Her teeth weren't out since baring teeth at this university is a punishable offense when used threateningly.

"Calm yourself, Anya. I know of their kind, but do not let the prejudice of our ancestors affect how we view people today," Lexa simply replied.

"Woah. When have you ever defended a lion in anything?"Anya asked incredulously.

"She's different."

"Just because she looks attractive doesn't mean she's different."

This comment made Lexa smirk.

"Even though that is not the reason. She is very nice to look at."

"Yeah, I bet she would look even better with her legs spread on-"

"Don't you dare finish that sentence, Anya!" Lexa snarled with a pink hue, tinting her cheeks. Anya laughed at Lexa's hopeless attraction to the blonde. Anya threw a fry at Lexa's head, which only made her growl louder in irritation.

"My fault, Heda. I'll make sure to never say that again."

"Mockery is not the product of a strong mind."

"Wow. Using my own words against me," Anya drawled.

"Well, there was a time when you used to be useful."

"There was a time when you used to be scared of ladybugs. Some things never change," Anya sarcastically uttered while she popped two more fries into her mouth. Lexa let out a full laugh with her head tilted back. When she opened her eyes to look back at the blonde, Clarke was staring at her with a soft smile. Once the girl realized she's been caught by Lexa, she blushed and gave Lexa a small wave. Anya started muttering something suspiciously sounded like 'all attractive people are witches,' but Lexa ignored her in favor of waving back at Clarke. 

Another smaller brunette bumped shoulders with Clarke and seemed to question her about something. The other dark brunette looked up to Lexa and gawked, making Lexa laugh under her breath. Apparent disbelief registered on the girl's face, and she started harshly whispering something into the blonde's ear. Lexa watched this interaction with curiosity as they seemed to go back and forth with something before the brunette threw her hands up and moved her chair over near the blue and black meta bird. The meta bird almost seemed relieved in a way, but her feathers were still puffed out.

Clarke cleared her throat and got up from the table and started striding across the courtyard with determined steps.

Lexa's eyes widened, and she heard Anya choke on her fry when she felt the blonde arrive a few feet away from them. She seemed nervous, but brightened her smile and said softly, "Hello, hyena."

Lexa didn't smile back this time, but instead inclined her head in acknowledgment and said with no emotion, "Hey, lion."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comment criticism, if you like it and if you don't, (What I should do about the dick situation >_>). Be safe. and of course BLACK LIVES MATTER. Alright byeeeeee.


	5. Claws with Fears

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "There were no words, and no movements but the tearing of teeth and claws."
> 
> ~William Golding
> 
> Lexa gets invited to a party  
> Raven gets drunk  
> Clarke saves a new friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys! Sooo thank you to the three people who commented on the situation I talked about last chapter. I haven't made the final descion yet! But by the seventh or eighth chapter, Ill make it explicitly clear what Lexa will be. Until then have fun reading! 😘
> 
> PS. This chapter is over 6.1k words, so a long one (in my standards). and there are links below to more characters in the story with their animal and possible meta phase. Trigger warning: Blood, violence

# Claws and Blood come with a Price. And that's Fear

### "This was their pride. Their weapon."

[Lincoln & Gustus](https://picsart.com/i/image-330653859011201)

[Jake (Clarke's Dad)](https://picsart.com/i/image-330653831076201)

[Anya](https://picsart.com/i/image-330653805069201)

[Harper](https://picsart.com/i/image-330120632023201)

[Monty & Jasper](https://picsart.com/i/image-330120613122201)

"Hey, Lion."

  
Clarke smiled nervously and then moved her gaze to her feet and asked, "So the Blakes invited you to a house party this Saturday, and I uh...Just came to relay the message."

Clarke's eyes shifted over to the other woman sitting next to Lexa with a stony expression.

"And you're also invited if you would like to come too," Clarke trailed off when she heard a snort, and she snapped her head back to Lexa with mild surprise. Her green eyes mixed with something other than coldness. No matter how many times Clarke stares at them, she can never get over how deep she can get lost in Lexa's forest. But Clarke also couldn't shake the feeling that those eyes looked eerily similar to the vibrant green eyes in her dream.

Lexa raised her eyebrow at the awkward blonde and decided to stay quiet for a couple of moments to ponder about the offer(and maybe to mess with the lioness's head). The brunette hasn't been to a real house party for so long. She gets invited to them, but she always refuses since she feels like her time can be better spent elsewhere instead of getting drunk off her ass at a random person's party.

This small delay resulted in Clarke's eyes jumping between Anya and Lexa nervously, and she was about to take back the offer since it irked the hell out of the blonde, waiting for the damned hyena to make a choice.

Right when Clarke opened her mouth to angrily tell Lexa to forget about it, the hyena softly replied, "We would love to."

The other woman's head whips around to glare at Lexa in disbelief, but the brunette continues observing the girl in front of her whose eyes turned bright, and her smile lit up her whole face.

"Great! I can text you the details. See you there, Lexa," Clarke grinned and inclined her head towards Anya.

"And you as well," Clarke added as she turned around and speed-walked back to her own table across the large courtyard. She was trying very hard not to start skipping out of happiness.

  
But not before throwing Lexa and the other lady a smirk over her shoulder. Inside Clarke's head, she was fist-pumping and giving herself pats on the back for not being a stammering mess. She's used to being way more confident in her own skin. Especially around other people. When it came to this strange brunette, why did she suddenly not feel so sure? It could have something to do with the trauma that happened with the police three years ago, but why would it come affecting her now? Clarke absentmindedly shook her head to rid herself of her dark swirling thoughts. She didn't have time to worry about the why and the how of her feelings. She's only just met her anyway. Clarke will find some other chance to ask herself deep questions like this in her own time.

The blonde saw Octavia and Raven staring at her questioningly. Clarke rolled her eyes and gave both of them two thumbs up. Octavia dramatically fist-pumped while Raven waggled her eyebrows suggestively. All of this making the blonde shake her head and laugh joyfully as she sat in between her best friends.

"You guys are ridiculous," Clarke sighed exasperatingly as she fished out her drawing pad and laid it out on the table.

Raven scoffed and relaxed back into her chair before replying, "Hey, don't be mad. We're just happy that our best friend is finally gonna be getting some." Raven cast a glance at Octavia for longer than was necessary before looking back at Clarke with a glint in her eyes.

  
"Me and Octavia were beginning to think you went all sanctified and shit on us," the blue jay snarkily quipped, but not before Octavia swiftly added, "It's 'Octavia and I' not 'me and Octavia' you illiterate bird." A loud and overly dramatic gasp emitted from Raven's beak, and she glared at a smirking Octavia.

  
"Well, well, it looks like Octavia finally knows her pronouns after so long. If you needed help, you could've always had private lessons with me," the meta blue jay cheerfully chirped, watching Octavia almost choke on nothing but air at Raven's innuendo. Clarke was about to cut off her two friends bickering in fear that it might turn into a full-blown fight when she looked closer at the interaction between them. Her friend's neck feathers weren't as puffed out in annoyance as before, and Raven wasn't tapping the concrete pavement with her talons in rapid succession. She also wasn't clenching her beak as tightly as she was previously. Octavia's eyes weren't as hard when she looked at Raven, but they were still guarded around the girl. Her shoulders and back weren't as tense either. Clarke's eyes widened a fraction in surprise. They seemed almost right, like what happened those days ago never happened. But Clarke has known these girls almost her whole life, and she could still tell that they weren't completely normal.

For instance, Raven's eyes weren't as bright as they usually are. She looked tired more than anything. Her snide remarks weren't as boisterous as they typically are. Octavia still looked awkward and almost surprised at Raven's comments.

Her best friends still had a long way to go, but whatever happened while she talked to Lexa must have helped her friends immensely. At least enough that they could both be on speaking terms.

Clarke relaxed and decided to start sketching the courtyard before her and tune out the sounds of her friends' arguing.

🐾

  
Lexa felt her sister's gaze boring a hole on the side of her head, and it took a whole minute before Lexa sighed and finally addressed the irritated hyena next to her.  
"You know it would be good for you to get out once in a while," Lexa breathed out nonchalantly. Lexa had seen how tired her sister had gotten ever since Aden was born, judging by the dark circles that formed under her eyes. Aden was indeed a blessing to both Anya, Roan, and herself. Sometimes, Lexa wonders between the three of them, if she was the happiest to see the birth of Aden. But just like any toddler his age, he was a lot to look after. Especially since Roan has been busier lately, but he agreed to take Aden for the hour with him around the city while Anya went out.

Anya's huffed in annoyance, her fingers drumming against the metal table.  
"Well, as you should know, I don't have time to get drunk at some frat party. You haven't gone out all that much either! And besides, I have to look after Aden, and you know I don't trust Aden with random babysitters," Anya harshly voiced.

Lexa didn't seem perturbed by the sharp tone of Anya's voice, but she did turn towards the other hyena and softly challenged, "As do I, but do you not trust Gustus and Indra to take Aden in for the night?"

Anya faltered slightly, about to hastily reach for another fry.

Gustus and Indra were probably the closest things they had to a mom and dad. Ever since their mother died, Lexa and Anya have been orphans. However, being the highest alpha females, underneath their mother, in the coalition, they had more than enough willing mothers to take care of them. But once Lexa found Costia, she and her sister started hanging around her family more. Indra and Gustus were practically their caretakers. At the time, the relationship between Indra and Gustus to the hyena sisters was quite peculiar since it was between a grizzly bear and a doe. A relationship like that was rarely talked about, no less shunned. So when Lexa started having a crush on Costia--Indra's biological daughter--she was surprised, and it almost scared her.

Time passed, her feelings grew more potent, and her determination to be with the girl she felt for. Gustus's biological son, lincoln, and Indra's other biological daughter, Gaia, became like family to the sisters. Finally, Anya pushed her sister to ask the doe out when Lexa was fourteen, but nothing could've prepared Lexa for the next four years that followed after that.

Summing-up, Indra and Gustus were extremely close to the sisters, and if it came down to it, Lexa would give up her own life for them in a heartbeat. So it came as no surprise to Lexa when Anya struggled to find an excuse as to why she couldn't leave Aden with them.

"Well, I obviously don't want to bother them with a small toddler running around. And what if Gaia is there? How would she react to a little hyena running around her home? What if Aden doesn't even like them-" Anya rambled, but Lexa cut her off with an amused chuckle hidden behind her hand. Anya fiercely growled, her mouth threatening to open up and bare her teeth in sheer annoyance.

The other slightly younger sibling smiled before clearing her throat and spoke, "Aden will be fine, sis. I really think you need this night out just as much as I do."  
Anya released a sigh before extending her arm to Lexa, softly staring straight into the girl's green eyes. A ghost of a smile passed over Lexa's lips, and she firmly grasped her sister's arm and brought their foreheads together briefly before quickly separating in fear that someone was watching.

  
"Alright than little sis. I'll appease you just for the night so you can hang out with hot blondie," Anya teased with a smirk spreading across her face. Lexa rolled her eyes but directed a small smile to the girl next to her.

  
"Even if I do hang out with the pretty lioness, she is still a lion nonetheless. This night will just help facilitate my attraction towards her," asserted with finality to the statement that left no room for argument. The younger woman took a small sip of her water before placing it back on the table. Anya quirked up her eyebrow in doubt and crossed her arms in front of her chest.  
"Really? Well then, why is it that she has your phone number?" Anya questioned. Luckily, Lexa didn't have water in her mouth because she would have spit it all over Anya's face. However, she was able to control her demeanor enough to clear her throat and calmly state, "I never said she had my phone number."

"No. but she did."

It took Lexa a few moments to replay their whole interaction mere minutes before she realized that Clarke did indeed tell Lexa she would 'text her the details, ' meaning that Clarke did have her phone number.

_Damn you, Anya._

_Always paying too close attention to shit that doesn't concern you._

She moved her penetrating stare to her cold glass of water, watching as the water droplets raced down the sides of the cup. The brunette heard the slightly older woman let out a breath.

"Look, Lexa. I just don't want to see you get hurt again like what happened with Costia. Especially with someone who's our ancestors' enemy. Hell, Lexa, don't you remember biting a lion just because they were one? Are you not afraid that you might do the same to her?" Anya blatantly accused, watching her slightly younger sister's face carefully. Lexa almost wanted to scoff and in her face and tell her, 'Well, what you don't know is that she is the one that I bit, so suck on that!' But that didn't sound too polite, and she really didn't want to deal with all of the questions that might follow that statement. Lexa decided to settle this conversation with a shrug of her shoulders and a flick of her wrist in the general direction of the streets.

  
"Don't you have to pick Aden up now?" the younger brunette questioned with a tilt of her head.

  
Anya pulled her phone out of her pocket to check the time, and sure enough, it was time to pick her son up.

"Shit, your right, We'll finish this conversation at your place," Anya hastily rushed out as she stuffed the rest of her fries in her mouth and grabbed her purse.

  
"No, we will not, Anya," Lexa affirmed sternly but gave the slightly older girl a soft smile and a wave of her hand.

  
Anya decided that waving goodbye was not enough and gave Lexa a firm hug, and finally detached from her to say her farewells, "Yes, we will. Bye, Lexa."

  
The brunette rolled her eyes.

  
"Bye, Anya."

🐾

It was time for her last class and went into the building for historical sciences. Lexa unpacked her notebook and pen neatly and sat back in her chair, head up and back straight. Her professor pranced into the room with an air of authority; his large satchel swung across his body and computer in hand. He was a meta wolverine at the time, teaching political sciences. Not many herbivores went into this field of science. So it came as no surprise that the board would hire a carnivore to head the department. Mr. Pike was far from Lexa's favorite professor, but he was great at what he did.

So far, no one has sat next to her, which is lovely since the young hyena liked to be left alone during class sessions. But just her luck, a minute before class starts, a meta zebra with long legs, and pretty brown eyes, comes up the rows staring straight at her. Lexa prayed to God that the girl wouldn't stop on her row.

The zebra walked up to each row steadily heading towards her, and finally, she stopped right in front of Lexa.

_Damn._

Of course, the zebra would want to sit right next to her when there were more than enough seats for her to sit anywhere else. Lexa thought about moving chairs but quickly dismissed the idea. Not wanting to be too rude to one of the few herbivores in her class. The meta Zebra flicked her eyes over to Lexa's empty seat and asked in an emotionless voice(That rivaled Lexa's own), "May I sit near you?"

Lexa blankly stared at the meta woman before her, and replied with her own hollowed-out voice, "If you wish." The zebra didn't show any sign of emotion on her face or her eyes, but she merely nodded her head and laid out her school supplies on the long joint desk in front of her. If the other more tan brunette wasn't so troubled by the prospect of someone taking up her space, she would've been more impressed by the lack of emotion laced throughout the zebra's being. It took Lexa a long time to even begin schooling her own emotions. Longer to actually build up her walls. But when Costia died, it became astonishingly more natural to fortify her walls and cast away her feelings. It wasn't until Aden was born freshman year of college that Lexa began letting herself open up to her closest family.

However, some good came out of that dark period of her life. She made herself a name within Polis and made her hyena clan one of the most prosperous carnivorous groups in the city. Rivaling the Mt. Weather 'Calico' cats, and, Arkadia pride's lions. Of course, she had her mother to thank for establishing the seed of success. All Lexa did was cultivate that seed into the flourishing coalition it is today: the hyaenas of Cerberus.

Professor Pike was delivering a lecture for about forty-five minutes, but Lexa was barely present for nearly half of it. Lost in her own thoughts about her clan, Anya, Aden, and sky-blue eyes.

It took Lexa a moment to realize who those eyes belonged to, and once she realized who she was indirectly thinking about, she made the thought vanish as quickly as it appeared.

A lion had no place in her thoughts, especially a lion from Arkadia.

Lexa cast her eyes to the zebra next to her, who was solely focused on their professor. The striped animal was sitting erect in her seat, her slippers firmly planted on the floor, and her fingers folded on her lap. She was the embodiment of a statue.

  
Still but attentive.

  
Lexa looked back at her professor and decided that she'll start taking notes, but after a couple of more minutes, she heard the monotone voice of the woman next to her.

"You are a fascinating character, Alexandria. To think that one young girl such as yourself can command all of those...hyenas," the zebra coldly remarked. Once again, there was no emotion behind the words except for maybe a bit of disgust hinted towards the end. Lexa tilted her head to acknowledge the meta's words but kept her mouth shut. Refusing to give an answer to a woman she just met.

The lack of reply didn't deter the meta zebra. The zebra's eyes were still wholly focused on the professor lecturing them. Making it seem that the zebra didn't say anything at all until she spoke up once again with the same tone of voice.

"I'm sure you have no problem at all. Everyone has been talking about how you will be the next _Beastar_. Carnivores and herbivores praise you, but you don't seem all that keen to exploit that power," Lexa raised one of her eyebrows an inch in mild confusion and surprise.

_Beastar_ is the highest honor for any animal at the university. The reward goes to an animal that defies the natural presumptions of a carnivore or herbivore. They have done outstanding things, and they are an excellent student. But Lexa hasn't done anything that might explicitly contradict her carnivorous side. But even so.

_What does she mean by exploiting my power?_

Lexa let out a deep breath, their professor still droning on about the republics and democracies' different methods. She decided to answer coldly and curtly, "My power as head of my clan does not transfer over to this university."

Now that was just a transparent lie. Of course, the brunette's status outside of college would in someway transfer here. It was just something that happens.  
Lexa was a control freak, as her sister so kindly pointed out one summer day when she was getting frustrated with the way her sister was playing a game that Anya made up. When she analyzed some of her interactions with Clarke, it screamed that she had control issues. Lexa expected the people at the university to know and respect her. She didn't expect a blonde lioness to evoke so many feelings of insecurity and loss of control.

Is that why she does that to Clarke? Because she feels like she's losing control. Trying to control a stubborn lion only makes her more frustrated. She clenched her teeth and berated herself for once again thinking about the blonde.

Lexa kept repeating to herself, _'A lion had no place in your thoughts'_

She kept on rehearsing the line to herself until she saw some movement in the corner of her eye from the zebra, and she finally pivoted in her seat toward her.  
The meta had shifted her legs to cross under the table, and her fingers folded on top of the desk. Her eyes were still trained on their professor. The meta's small striped tail flicked(The only hint of movement that the brunette had seen throughout their communication). The meta slowly(robotically even) turned her head toward Lexa and simply declared, "Do not lie to yourself. When you do win the honor of becoming _Beastar_ , watch your people."

On that note, Professor Pike stopped speaking and began excusing the class. The female meta packed her things and closed her notebook that was clear of any writings. Lexa carefully watched the zebra gently get up and incline her head in the brunette's direction. Lexa stared at the meta as she stepped around the brunette and made her way to the door leaving Lexa with an unsettling churning in her stomach. She had a puzzling feeling that she may need to call a council meeting sooner than she thought.

Did something happen to her clan that she didn't know about?

Whatever that mysterious zebra was talking about, it didn't sit well with the young woman, but she will have to hold off on her thoughts of the woman until next week. Lexa quickly packed her own things and left out of the classroom with a few other students.

🐾

Raven tried to act like everything was okay between her and Octavia, but it was starting to become laborious. Being around her friends made it a bit easier to mask the achy feeling whenever she looked at Octavia. But now, sitting alone in her dorm room, all she could do was focus on that feeling.

It was horrible.

It was like she couldn't do anything about it. Like she was fucking helpless.

_Just like with everything else I do._

But since she was already 5 shots of vodka in, Raven might wallow in her misery for a few more hours. At least that's what she was planning on doing before the doorbell to her door room rung. The slightly intoxicated brunette groaned and rolled off the bed and shouted, "Clarke, I'm trying to get drunk!"

No one answered except another knock at the door. Raven then thought it was Octavia for a minute, and tears began prickling the edges of her eyes.

  
"Damnit, Octavia, Just leave me alone!"

"I'm not Octavia," came the reply.

"Or Clarke!"

Raven's faced scrunched up. Why were two people in front of her dorm room? She snatched her shot of vodka and stumbled over to the door before yanking it open. Her eyebrows shot up when she saw who it was.

Harper and Zoe--the horse sisters-- looking guilty right at her doorstep. The young brunette rubbed her brows together before she snarkily remarked, "Why the hell are you guys here?" Harper crossed her arms in front of her while Monroe placed her hands on her hips.

"Don't be a bitch. We're here because Harper had a gut feeling that you may feel lonely," Zoe grumbled.

The Latina sighed and ran a hand through her brown hair. She set the horse sisters with a glare before moving away from the door and waving them inside. Raven has known Harper and Monroe since elementary school. If Clarke and Octavia weren't as close to the brunette as they were, the dirty blonde sisters would most definitely be her other best friends. Raven floundered over to the couch with chips haphazardly laying on the ground and three shot glasses on the table. She plopped right on the sofa and patted the open seats next to her.

"Well, your gut feeling was wrong," Raven growled as she waved the bottle high above her head, " I have Smirnoff with me to keep me company." Monroe and Harper shared a look before they sat down on separate sides of Raven. The brunette offered up some of her vodka, but Harper politely declined, but her sister accepted the offer way too eagerly.

"Hell yeah, Reyes! Pour me some," Monroe demanded, eagerly making Harper roll her eyes, and Raven smile a little bit.

After Monroe had had her shot glass filled, and Raven's refilled, they all relaxed back into the couch and sat in comfortable silence.

At least it was comfortable until Harper had to interrupt it.

"Rae, we need to talk about you," Harper announced, eliciting a groan of annoyance from Reyes.

"Harp, all I've been doing is talking! Why can't I just have some peace to myself," Raven breathed out. Her hair was a tangled mess, and she was trying very hard not to lash out at the sisters again.

"Harp, let Raven talk to us when she's properly drunk," Zoe mentioned nonchalantly and took a swig from her drink. Harper glared at her sister from across the couch before sighing. Grabbing the remote to the TV, Harp turned the channel to a movie called 'Fox and the Hound.'

'Munching on chips, watching a movie, drinking vodka. What a dream' the brunette thought.

The trio was an hour into the movie when Raven suddenly whispered, "It's so hard not to be scared."

Harper looked away from the movie for a second to stare at Raven, but the girl was still watching the film with sad eyes.

They were at the part where Todd was hiding from Copper. The fear in his eyes struck Raven deep. It was the same fear that she felt when she heard of that doe being raped and eaten in their school. It was the same fear she felt when she saw Clarke almost turning feral in front of her eyes. It was the same look she gave to Octavia when the small brunette growled in her face. It was a look she was all too used to at this point.

Harper didn't say anything, taking her sister's advice to just let Raven talk on her own time.

And it was working.

"I want to be strong for her...I want to be the one that holds her," Raven slurred her words together, "She's so beautiful, but she wants me to do something impossible." Her eyes were beginning to water, and she held on tightly to her shot glass, dowing it and pouring herself another. Meanwhile, Monroe was acting like nothing was being said and was continuing to watch the movie.

Raven let out a watery laugh before tucking her knees behind her chin.

"Maybe she's right. I need to stop being afraid of carnivores-" Raven sighed out but was quickly interrupted by Monroe without taking her eyes off the TV, "fear is what drives us to be brave. Without fear, we have nothing to be brave for," Monroe slurred out. More than a little tipsy herself. Raven raised her eyebrows and held out her fist for a fist bump, which Monroe quickly reciprocated and then laughed.

"Aye, look at you being all philosophical and shit in the middle of day drunk," Raven proudly congratulated Zoe.

  
Harper also couldn't help but laugh at the two of them before clearing her throat and becoming solemn again.

  
"Raven, we are herbivores. At our basic instincts, we are meant to be scared of carnivores. No matter how shitty our life may be, everyone has a reason to be afraid. Carnivores, like her, won't understand what it feels like to be near death wherever we go," Harper boldly asserted her nose scrunched up in concentration as she tried to think of the right words to say.

"She has no right telling you to not be scared of something that every herbivore has nightmares about."

Raven absorbed all of this information with a heavy heart. It was gonna take more time than one drunken night watching movies with two friends to help her believe that she has a right to be afraid. But Monroes philosophical epitaphs and Harper's encouraging advice aren't gonna be enough for Raven to move one.

  
Not yet.

A few tears slipped out from Raven's eyes. Then a stream of tears was slowly cascading down the brunette's face until she was flat out sobbing on the couch. She wrapped her arms around the two girls' neck and brokenly sobbed out, "T-thank you. I don't think I'll ever be brave enough to face my fears, but thank you for coming and getting drunk with me."

Harper and Zoe gave Raven a tight hug before Harper untangled herself from Raven's arm. She grabbed her sister's arm and tried to grab her waist while her sister squirmed in her arms, trying to get away from Harper.

"I got to take this drunk ass back to our own dorm. Will your roommate be coming anytime soon?" Harper questioned.

Raven wiped her eyes while shaking her head.  
"Emori won't be here for the rest of the night. Probably fucking Murphy or something," Raven murmured as she shakily stood up.

Harper nodded before forcefully pulling her sister to the door and opening it with one hand, holding a reluctant Zoe with the other arm.

"Fucking Murphy. Don't fuck Murphy!..." Zoe rambled under her breath, and the dirty blonde shook her head.

"She really can't hold her liquor. We'll see you later, Raven," Harp called out over shoulder and closed the door to Raven's dorm room, leaving Raven alone again with her thoughts.

🐾

Clarke was walking from her university to the nearest bus stop to catch a ride home. It was 6 pm, and she was ready to go home and have a long talk with her mother. She passed by the gates to her old middle school 'Carnal academy.' The blonde fondly smiled at all of the memories she has made at that school, including the time Raven learning how to turn into a full meta bird.

It was definitely a learning curve for the friend group and Raven.

"Stop acting so innocent, panther. Next time keep your damn claws to yourself!"

Clarke's head perked up, and her eyes widened. The blonde looked around, and she couldn't find the source of the yelling. While she resumed her walking to the bus stop, Clarke heard faint whimpering and smelled the metallic tang of blood. Clarke's pupils shrank into pinpricks, and her skin became itchy. She took a big whiff, and once she was able to get a considerable amount of the smell into her nostril, she growled, and her claws sprouted from her hands. Her breathing became faster, and her steps were stalkier and quicker. The whimpering turned into sobs, and a "I'm so sorry" rang in Clarke's ear. She was close. There was an alleyway between the middle school that led into a corner hidden from the public eye.

Many fights were dealt here when Clarke was attending this middle school.

She dropped her backpack by a bench near the school wall. Before Clarke went down the alleyway, she took a moment to calm herself. No matter what happens after this point, she needs to stay somewhat calm. These are most likely middle schoolers who are much younger than her. She just needs to scare them, not beat the crap out of them.

With that in mind, Clarke puffed out her chest and walked down the alleyway with her head held high. The blood and whimpering were becoming more prominent with each step she took. Then she saw it.

Once she turned down a corner, she was hit with the image of two boys, who had to be at least sixteen, standing over a bleeding meta panther. Two smells that Clarke immediately recognized an antelope and one that may have been some type of bird. Anyways, The girl being beaten was curled up against the wall, so Clarke couldn't tell her age or get a good image of her face. The meta had small ears pointing out from the inside of her hoodie. The hoodie was stained with blood and ripped around the arm area. The two boys looming over the poor girl were relatively skinny, and Clarke could probably break them with one swipe of her paws.

However, it would be no problem to take on these guys what stopped Clarke from doing just that was one of them turned around and had a de-clawer in their hands. The tips of the devilish tool were already coated in dark red blood. The boy that turned around was definitely taller than Clarke, and upon closer inspection wasn't a herbivore at all. She was able to detect a scent that he was actually feline under all of the wretched smells of blood coating his mask and shirt.

But why would another feline have such a God awful contraption in their hands? If there was one thing that all felines cherished the most, it was their claws. Claws symbolized their power and protection. This was their pride and weapon. Take that away, how could you ever be considered a cat?

His partner turned around and froze up when they saw her. But now, since they turned towards her, Clarke was able to catch a glimpse of the bleeding meta panther on the pavement, and what she saw made her heart stop.

_They declawed her._

_They are fucking declawing her!_

_Out of all the vilest things those slimy little bastards-_

Unfortunately, Clarke didn't have enough time to discuss how disgusting they were in her head because one of them pounced at her. The blonde jumped several feet back and slashed her claws against the boy's mask. The mask fell onto the ground, and she was faced with angry black eyes, and three white marks slashed across his face. A more potent smell was let out, and now she could tell for sure that this man was a cat of some sort. But why would he need to hide his scent? And what was the smell of an herbivore doing on him anyway?  
Too many questions and there wasn't that much time.

Clarke was already shifted into her meta phase. Her skirt became three inches too short, and her tail lifted the garment just enough so that that you can see where her ass meets the back of her thighs. Her fur made her shirt and socks uncomfortable and too tight, and the scrunchie she was wearing in her hair fell to the floor. Her lioness was out for blood, and now she would be damned if she didn't do something about it.

The boy tried to grab again, but Clarke dodged and grabbed his arm before twisting it behind his back and covering his jugular with her claws. The other boy, who smelled like a bird and was about to try and double team the blonde, stopped and looked at his friend with horror.

_Perfect._

_They should be scared._

"You need to leave and never come back to her or this school. Because if I smell, hear, or even see you walking the damn streets, I'll make sure there will be hell to pay," The meta lioness seethed out, her claws digging into the boy's neck making him whimper.

"Do I make myself clear," Clarke calmly asked. No one said a word, and this only made her angrier. The fur on the back of her neck stood on end, and she snarled out, "Do I make myself clear!?"

The whimpering "yes's" that resounded from the two boys was enough for Clarke to let the other boy go, and she watched as the pathetic excuses ran from the alley corner and disappeared into the night.

It was quiet, and Clarke took this moment to gather herself together. She needed to calm down before talking to the bleeding child. Clarke clenched and unclenched her hands, and her breathing evened out. All that can be heard was the laborious breaths coming from the gasping heap of black fur on the floor. The lioness took a step towards the girl and lowered to her knees, so she wouldn't seem too imposing.

"Hey, can you hear me?" The blonde softly asked. It was a couple of minutes before the meta untucked her head to reveal red-rimmed green eyes wet from the apparent crying. The blonde almost gasped because those eyes almost looked Lexa's. The meta subtly nodded her head and continued to stare into Clarke's blue eyes.

Clarke realized this and tried to add as much warmth into her expression as possible.

"That's good. Are you...Do you have a home that I should take you too?" Clarke said, her body inching a little bit closer to the panther. Close enough to see that panther was supporting several cuts along her face. Bruises were forming around her paws and neck. When Clarke looked down, she saw two gaping holes from where the panther's claws should have been. The pulsing pink and red flesh starkly contrasted the black fur of her paw. It was heartbreaking. Clarke almost wanted to throw up at the idea that kids would do this to each other.

The Meta panther took a bit longer to answer this question. Like she was thinking of what to say. Could it be she didn't have a home? Or maybe her home wasn't anywhere near here.

The panther slowly shook her head, and the lioness's words got caught in her throat.

_Fuck, she doesn't even have a home to go to. Should I take her to my home? What would my mother say if I just picked up a kid from off the street?_

The meta lion looked down at the panther for a moment and took in the state of pain and confusion the girl was in. With that, Clarke let out a sigh and hung her head down.

_This is stupid. This is soo stupid._

"Do you wanna come home with me? My mother's a doctor, and I'm positive we can make you feel better," The young Blonde explained, hoping only a little that the panther says yes.

The other meta's answer also took some time. The panther's black tail swept against the floor, twitched, and then stopped moving.

"I don't have nowhere else to go."

Clarke held her breath in for a moment.

Clarke muttered, "then come with me." The lioness slowly got up from off her knees and held out her hand. The tips of her nails were spattered with blood, tainting the white fur around her paws.

The small panther wearily eyes the extended hand for some time.

The girl looked up into Clarke's comforting blue eyes before making up her mind and swiftly grabbing the hand to be pulled up.

Once she was upright and steady, she refused to let go of the lioness's hand, and Clarke seemed to be completely alright with the predicament.

Once they started walking out of the alleyway, Clarke became too aware that her skirt was practically showing her ass, and her shoes were way too uncomfortable to step in for too long. They couldn't catch the bus because that would attract too much attention. Especially since the small panther's hoodie was ripped, and her paws were caked with blood.

_I mean two carnivores with blood on their hands? Yeah, like that doesn't look suspicious._

Clarke let out an exasperated sigh and decided that she would have to call someone to pick her up. They got to the end of the alleyway. Clarke bent down, rummaged through her bag, and grabbed her phone to call someone to pick them up.

First-person she tried to call was Raven, but it went straight to voicemail. The second person was Octavia, but her friend didn't answer the phone after three rings. The lioness was starting to become anxious. Why wasn't anyone answering?

Clarke bit her lip, scrolled down her contacts, and hovered over her mother's name. The older meta thought about all of the ways this interaction between her and her mother could go wrong, but what choice did she have? At least if Clarke calls her mother now, her mother would have a bit more time to cool off.

Clarke breathed in and pressed on the call button. Clarke slowly brought the phone to her ears, waiting for her mother to pick. After two rings, her mother accepted the call, and Clarke could hear the worry laced into her mom's voice.

"Honey? Where are you? Why are you not back from your classes yet?"

Clarke flicked her tongue against her sharp teeth and looked down at the panther, who looked close to passing out.

"Hello? Clarke, where are you?"

The lioness could hear the urgency in Abby's voice, but Clarke couldn't take her eyes off of the paw clutching desperately onto hers. Their hands were bloodied and bruised. The blood on the lioness's fur was starting to dry and become crusty. Her eyes traveled the young girl's ripped hoodie and landed on her bright green eyes.

"Mom, we need to talk."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wooooooh Clarke be getting all the action. Anyways hope y'all had fun reading. Also CAN SOMEONE PLEASE HELP ME ADD PICTURES TO THIS STORY!?
> 
> I'm not sure if the links are working okay for y'all or not, but until I figure how to add pics, we just gonna have to work with these links xD. ANyways hope y'all are safe and healthy. Byyyyyeeee


	6. Drunkish Anxiety

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Drunkenness is nothing but voluntary madness.”  
> -Seneca

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's another chapter! over 12k. I am very proud of myself as you can clearly tell. ;]  
> This chapter will be mentioning alcohol, drunkness, anxiety, and a lesbian kiss(kinda)! <3  
> Hope you'll like this. I also changed some stuff from the chapter before like what happened to Anya. (FYI she went missing for two years and then came back). She also got banished from the tribe when she had an illegitimate child with an outsider. Alright, off to the story!

# Drunkish Anxiety and Love can make anyone fall

### "Why does it hurt when I'm with you."

Lexa finally made it to her home, which was extremely large and surrounded by acres of land. The neighborhood surrounding her large mansion was mostly filled with hyenas that were apart of her home clan. Most clan meetings were conducted in her home. And all primitive gatherings of her people would usually happen in the Hyenas territory of the sandy lands. It was the opposite side of the Arkadia pride territory and far away from Mt. Weather, where the Calico cats roam. However, the hyenas' region overlapped with the (now present)wild dogs' area. It has been Lexa's pre-initiative duty to figure out this problem for her people before taking up the full title of Heda. But of course, Titus(her advisor) had a lot of choice words about those decisions that she'd be making regarding this duty. Lexa took a minute to stretch her back, and park her recently cleaned and waxed car. 

Grabbing her book bag, she made her way to her doorstep and pulled out her keys to open the wooden oak door. 

She turned the knob to open the door, and she was met with the scowl of her trusted advisor. 

Lexa sighed. 

She had invited Titus because she will be taking him to the meeting as a sort of mediator between her and the wild dogs, The young woman knew what Titus was after, but she didn't have the energy to talk to him at least at this moment.

"Not right now, Titus."

The younger brunette stepped around the bald man and went straight to her study room to set her bag down. Titus was left at the doorway, brimming with irritation.

"But your meeting with the wild dogs isn't necessary for our clan. We already have enough hyenas to lead and look after. We can just kick them out!"

Lexa growled and went into her own room and pulled out a white button-up blouse and a black pencil skirt. She really didn't want to have a discussion right when she was supposed to leave to meet up with the Wild dog's leader. Lexa knew full well that adding to her ever-growing people can make it more difficult to lead all of them and keep herself safe. But, she knew that having different animal species might help boost the coalitions profits(at least until the wild dogs move on from their territory), and Lexa could grow her own land and finally give Trikru a more significant place to expand upon. Titus followed her into her room and stood at the entrance.

"I understand why your worries, but let me do my job, Titus. Do not forget your place."

Lexa could have sworn she saw a vein popping out of his neck from how hard he was clenching his jaw.

"Heda, they're not even Hyenas. What good is it to us to bring a pack of wild dogs into our territory? You've already welcomed all species of hyenas, why include dogs?" 

Lexa gritted her teeth and tried her best not to lash out at her advisor. She knows he means well, and he only questions her decisions, so she knows for sure it is the right ones for her safety and, most importantly, the safety of her people.

"Titus, no matter what you say, I've already scheduled a meeting with them. Any further complaints about them will not be tolerated after the meeting," Lexa hissed at Titus.

"Do I make myself clear, Advisor?" 

Titus waited a moment before nodding stiffly and mumbling, "Crystal."

Lexa subtly nodded back at Titus and flicked her wrist dismissively.

"Go so that I can get ready."

Without any further complaints, he bowed and swiftly left the room, closing the door behind him.

Lexa grumbled and peeled her t-shirt off to put on a white button-up blouse. As well as slipping on her pencil skirt to appear more professional and give herself an air feminity. The wild dogs' leader is already skeptical of her leadership, but Lexa has no problems putting a pack of dogs in their places when necessary. A doorbell echoed down the hallways of her house, stopping Lexa in the middle of her zipping up her skirt.

Steady steps clicked against the wood and went up to the door. Lexa heard the signs of a woman talking and Titus telling them 'no' repeatedly. But then the woman obviously didn't care because Lexa detected a thump and then rushed steps making it to her door. Titus shouting fell death on Lexa's ears as she got into a position to defend herself when the mysterious woman swung open her door to reveal...her sister?

Lexa's features instantly relaxed but not too much since her eyes showed her irritation at Anya bursting into her room unannounced. But it seemed that Anya's eyes also reflected that same irritation.

"Please forgive me, Heda, I tried to tell her 'no,' but she just wouldn't listen."

Anya's face scrunched up in anger, and Lexa almost feared for her advisor's well-being. Almost.

"I am the second-ranking female of this pack, Titus. I can see my baby sister whenever I see fit."

Titus's own eyes flared up a little, and Heda watched this whole interaction between her sister and her advisor and failed to predict what might come out of the man's mouth next.

"You _were_ the second-ranking female. You no longer belong on these lands." 

Lexa gritted her teeth, the frustration for her sister rapidly becoming nonexistent. Instead, it was replaced with burning rage directed at the man next to her sister.

"Apologize to my sister, Now Titus," Lexa growled, her eyes staring daggers straight into her advisor's eyes. But Titus stood his ground and faced Heda's stare head-on.

"You know it's true Heda, and about time, you shouldn't allow _traitors_ to wander freely on our lands, it gives you a bad rep-"

Lexa harshly silenced him by barking out louder than necessary.

"I will decide who I should and should not allow int MY lands. You are still a male hyena Titus, do not forget that it is a privilege that I chose you instead of the other very capable females in my coalition."

Lexa looked between her sister and Titus. Anya was still tense, but now she supported a smug expression. Her arms crossed in front of her chest, and a small smirk gracing her lips.

The bald man seemed to be at a loss for words, and the only action he was able to muster was a thoughtless nod and a swift turn out of her room.

Lexa let out an exasperated exhalation, her fingers coming up to comb through her hair in stress. 

Anya glared at the door where the bald man exited the room for a minute, her eyebrows furrowed, and chest rising up and down from her harsh breathing. The older sister finally moved her gaze over to the stress-induced form: her little sister, hands clenching, shoulders tensed, and fingers pulling on the ends of her hair.

"You should have warned me that you would be on your way over here," Lexa briskly stated, Leveling Anya with a harsh stare of her own. Anya knows full well that she shouldn't go around their pack members without a proper forewarning, especially Titus. 

The young brunette took a quiet breath to calm herself, closing her eyes.

"Anya, you know the penalty for coming onto our lands without permission. Especially with Titus around. Your lucky it was at my house with no one else around."

Anya only rolled her eyes and leaned her body against the dresser to her left next to the opened door.

"Heda, I know your schedule, so I know that you didn't have a clan meeting. And I told you at lunch that I would be coming to talk to you more about this lioness chick."

Lexa felt her chest squeeze, but it wasn't because of the mention of the pretty blonde. 

Though bringing up the lioness had given Lexa quite the opposite feat.

But no. It was about her older sister calling Lexa 'Heda.'

The brunette shook her head and whispered, "I don't understand why you call me that. I am not your Hed-"

"Don't," Anya harshly cut her off, so Lexa clenched her mouth shut and made sure her eyes didn't betray any of her emotions to the topic. The sisters should have had a talk by now about this. 

The truth of the matter, Anya should've been the next leader of their clan. But something happened to Anya, and by the time she got back, Lexa was already decided to be the next leader. Lexa always speculated that the disappearance of Anya and then the death of Costia was always linked somehow. But Lexa could never connect the dots leading the two to be linked. Besides, when Anya returned, she had retained no memories of the past two years. Anya was still welcomed into the pack then, but It was Anya's choice to marry Roan without Lexa's approval and have a baby with him. Anya knew full well what she got herself into, but whenever Lexa straight up questioned whether or not it was all worth it, Anya always gave out the same response. 

_"I would have chosen the same in each lifetime, baby sis."_

Lexa nodded stiffly before slipping on her socks and black leather shoes.

"Is Aden here?"

Anya nodded, which made Lexa's eyes widen in horror, thinking of what Titus would do if he found the babbling little one crawling in her house. 

Witnessing her little sister's horror, Anya only shook her head mildly amused.

"He's in the car. If you called a meeting by the off chance and I walked in, I didn't want Aden being in the crossfire."

Lexa nodded, relieved by the news that her nephew was out of sight. No matter how comfortable Anya was around her old pack, Lexa would take no chances with the little one. Aden meant everything to Lexa, and Aden meant everything to Anya and Roan. Anya has gone through too much to lose another part of her family.

Lexa straightened out her invisible wrinkles--more or less due to a habitual practice-- and offered, "You and Aden can stay here while Titus and I go out and deal with the wild dogs," Lexa huffed, "They get more annoying every time I have to read their egotistical, needy emails. God, I hope their leader is half as humble as his counselors are."

Anya gave her sister a humorous and a quizzical stare, hoping that her little sister might elaborate on the brought up irritation. Unfortunately, she didn't.

Instead, Lexa went over to and Anya and grasped her forearm in a firm hold.

"Tell, Aden, I said hi, and that I'll be back."

Anya smiled softly and nodded before patting her sister on the back like a hint that she will do just that. With one last parting squeeze, Lexa left her bag with all of her necessary supplies already stowed away in the car. The older sister heard the young brunette open the front door and close it with a faint click.

Anya left out her room and waited only for a few minutes before she decided to go out and get Aden from the back seat, which she realized was fast asleep with clear lines of drool running on the side of his cheek. Anya bent over, unbuckled his seatbelt, and gave Aden a light kiss on his forehead, trying not the arouse the 4-year-old from his slumber.

"Hey, little bugger, we're gonna stay at Auntie Lexa's house for a little bit," Anya whispered to a nonconscious toddler limp in her arms.

The older blonde walked back up to the entrance of the house and straight to the couch.

"Your auntie doesn't know what she's getting into. This lioness is bound to be trouble little one, I just know it," Anya sighed exsparingly, softly petting her son's soft blonde hair. The mother was already nodding off to sleep, but before she reached precipe of slumber, she whispered to quietly into the night, "But no matter what, I won't let you fall too far away. Not like me."

Finally, she was sleeping with her child tucked away between her arms.

🐾

The ride back home was tense. Clarke couldn't fathom what might've been going through her mother's head at that moment.

Was she angry? Disappointed?

It was hard to tell when Abby wouldn't even look her own daughter in the eyes. Instead, the older Griffin would sometimes glance at the young meta panther whose wide eyes were taking everything in. It was disconcerting, to say the least, but Abby didn't let the young child known how uncomfortable she was by the way the panther seemed to never blink. 

Other times, Abby would let her eyes travel to the joined hands of her now human daughter and the little panther, bloodied from whatever scuffle her daughter found herself in. Abby made sure not to look too closely since she knew that the little panther's paw was partially declawed. And right now, Abby couldn't stomach the sight of a child with a red, pulsing hole of where her claw should have been. Abby learned her lesson when she first pulled up to the side of her daughter and looked too hard at the joined hands.

She almost threw up, since the wound was still bleeding profusely, and Clarke seemed to not have the sense to cover it up, or even stop the bleeding. But could Abby really blame her? Her daughter already seemed so tired, frightened, and scared. The last thing that was going through her mind was practiced medical procedures that her mother taught her when she was younger.

They were now just five minutes away. Clarke's mind was absent for the remainder of the ride. Like she was on autopilot, she wasn't really there. It was almost like watching a movie through someone else's eyes. You could see everything that is happening, but it was like you couldn't do anything about what might happen next.

They drove through the backway of Arkadia, and Abby parked the black SUV behind the estate. The young blonde didn't notice that her mother went a different way until Clarke attentively let go of the meta's hand, slowly stepped out of the car, and peered at a tall brick wall that surrounded Arkadia's proud estate. Suddenly everything that happened tonight came into full focus and clicked.

"Shit."

"Language, Clarke!" Abby harshly muttered but didn't dare look at her daughter. Only looking ahead at the wall in front of them. There were only a few cars parked around here since no one usually came through the back way. It was dark now, and the lights from within the walls illuminated the estate and the air around it. Casting a glow over the top of the wall.

Clarke looked back at the small meta and ran her hand through her tangled blonde locks. The meta was looking out the window with wide green eyes. She didn't seem scared, she just appeared blank and stoic. Like the events that happened no more than an hour ago didn't happen. The look was unnerving to the older blonde.

How are we gonna sneak a panther into a lion's territory?

Clarke didn't think about this when she called her mom, but it was too late to turn back now. Her mother went to pop open the trunk and seemed to open what looks like a first aid kit. The blonde bit down her growing irritation at the current situation and went back into the car to offer her hand to the small meta that was still bleeding all over their leather seats. Luckily the bleeding was slowing down a bit, so there were only a few noticeable dark spots on the car seat.

"We need to stop your paw from bleeding. After that, we can go inside, and you can rest. Does that sound alright, little panther?"

The meta panther didn't say anything.

Her eyes might have been wide open and alert, but her posture screamed that she was two blinks away from falling asleep. However, her eyes still stayed wide open, unblinking.

The young blonde decided that they really didn't have time to wait for a response from the child. So she grabbed the meta panther by the waist, scooting her across the seat and into Clarke's arms. The cub was lighter than she anticipated and smaller in her arms. Hell, it barely felt like the meta was alive at this point, but the all-encompassing green eyes were still full and present. Her black ears weren't pricked up to show cognizant; instead, they were laid back against her head, and her tail was firmly tucked between her legs and wrapped around herself. 

The meta was subconsciously trying to make herself smaller in the blonde's arm. That didn't sit well with Clarke, but she couldn't do anything about it. Trying to mentally help out the little girl at this point in the game wouldn't do a lot, so she would just have to wait.

Her mother came around the car with a white bandage, peroxide, and cotton balls. The blonde could immediately tell her mother was actively trying to avoid her daughter's eyes, instead, focusing all the attention on the cub's bloody mess of a paw. It was awkward. Watching her mother, who clearly was uncomfortable around her own daughter, bandage up a paw all while not casting a glance at Clarke. 

It was frustrating. The younger blonde wished her mom would come out and say whatever she's thinking. It's getting ridiculous at this point, and the younger blonde has long lost her patience.

"Damnit, why can't you look at me?" Clarke snapped, her forehead creasing in genuine confusion and anger.

Abby hesitated for a split second while she cleaned the wound but resumed momentarily.

"Honey, let's have this conversation-"

"No!" Clarke seethed.

"I am not in the mood to deal with a scared child and a scared mother," Clarke shot at Abby.

"Look at me." The blonde venomously seethed. There was a low warning growl beneath her words. Like Clarke wouldn't take anything less than what she asked for.

Abby clenched the cotton in her right hand and snapped her head up to glare into Clarke's eyes. Usually, if Clarke wasn't so physically and emotionally drained, she would have flinched at the glare, at least backed down and said sorry to her mother. But not today, not at this moment. Clarke met her mother's glare with one of her own. Her azure eyes leveling Abby's with a cold and unrelenting look.

The blonde girl was too tired to decipher why her mother was glaring at her, why she couldn't meet her eyes before, and why for the love of God was this child still curled up in her arms but still was wide awake.

Too many questions and not enough answers. 

Her mother was the first to break off the staring contest. She huffed and grumbled as she finished bandaging up the paw, and said with deadly severity, "bring the cub inside. You're going to explain to me what the hell happened."

🐾

Lexa was already halfway through the discussion with the wild dogs.

They were having their discussions in a sizeable cream-colored room that had dark brown and white accents. 

There were no windows, only abstract art and landscape paintings.

The meeting room was located in a modest two-story building, surrounded by acres of land. Apparently, this was the primary dwelling place of the wild dogs, but their more of a traveling species, so their home is wherever their leader goes. They usually move every two to three generations or three to four years. This migration, however, they ran a bit too close into Lexa's territory, which is what she and Titus were here to discuss. 

Fortunately, The pack leader had just agreed that they will move out of the hyenas' territory as long as the hyenas can provide the pack with protection. 

In return, the wild dogs will keep a lookout for any missing hyenas from her pack and pay her clan a large sum. At this point, she and the wild dogs' leader, a tall, skinny, and dark man with kind brown eyes and a broad smile, are discussing the issue with the missing hyenas.

"And you will report to me whenever you find something or someone suspicious, Mr. Okoro?" Lexa inquired softly to make sure that they were on the same page. The leader responded in-kind.

"Of course, Ms. Forrester, I'll send a messenger at least once a week detailing what we've seen or haven't seen."

Lexa nodded her head and allowed a small resemblance of a polite smile graze her lips. The green-eyed brunette held out her hand.

"Than we have nothing else to discuss. Thank you for your time, and I hope that both of our people can benefit from this arrangement."

Mr. Okoro was already nodding his head and went to take up the hand offered to him.

"As do I, Heda."

He then turned around and dismissed the two guards at the door, and the people at the table who were taking notes of their talk. 

Lexa announced her farewells and nodded to Titus, who was just finishing up his own notes on the meeting to signal that the meeting was adjourned.

They both left the building, and straight into a sleek black Cadillac Escalade, where a chauffeur was patiently waiting with the door opened and a straight face. At least two meta hyenas were in the back of the care already. They were instructed to go in if they were to sense even an ounce of trouble from the other pack. Though Lexa would have no problem taking down any threat that the dogs could pose on her.

Once she and Titus were safely in the car and buckled in, she signaled the driver to start driving to the pre-described destinations three hours prior.

First, Location was dropping Titus off at his own home that was only a couple of blocks down from her estate. It was going to be a long ride, so she asked her advisor to read back his notes from the meeting and go over again what she must do.

"You and the leader agreed to allow ten hyena soldiers to watch over their back every two weeks. I already have a list of available hyenas that should be able to complete this task."

Lexa nodded along to Titus's notes and abruptly asked, "Send me the names you chose. I will personally go over them, and send who I see fit to handle an operation like this."

A moment passed by, giving Titus time to think and a scowl rested on his face, but before he could add anything to the discussion, Lexa stated, "Are all of these hyenas from my other clans and not just our own?"

Based on long silence that followed after her question, the brunette had a pretty good idea of the answer.

The young woman sighed, "I'll take care of that too."

"But Heda, the rest of the clans do not need to know about this. All it would do is create unnecessary unrest, and the leaders would suspect that you were too weak to force them to leave."

Lexa's nostrils flared in irritation. 

It's almost like Titus tries to be helpful, but all he sounds like is a broken record. Always saying the same thing about people seeing her as weak.

"If they have a problem with the way I run things, then they can be banished from this coalition, advisor. Soon I will be a full-fledged commander and leader of our people. I need the leaders to trust in what I am doing. And that also means taking their opinion into consideration."

Titus huffed but didn't say anything further. The rest of the car ride continues in silence until Titus was quietly dropped off at his residency.

🐾

Octavia was at the gym doing crunches. Her body covered with a light sheen of sweat, glistening in the glaring white lights. 

She's been there for at least two hours now, trying to work out her frustrations. 

And she had a lot of them.

First, the party that she and her brother are supposed to be hosting is gonna be a bit more chaotic since this time, she and her brother agreed that she could drink (Though that has never stopped her in the past). As long as she didn't get drunk off her ass(like her brother usually did).

Octavia knew perfectly well how well-known her brother's parties were. Now she would finally be able to actually be 'one of the college kids.' But she was nervous for some odd reason. This isn't like when she was in high school, and she acted all giggly with her best friend Raven when she talked about the college boys that showed up to her brother's dorm. Or when she was dragged out of the dorm kicking and screaming by a scowling big brother for being caught hanging around with one of the larger college wolves.

Now, her brother doesn't have to watch over her anymore. Now she's helping him plan it, and she gonna make sure she leaves a good impression.

But that wasn't even where most of her frustrations stemmed from. 

No, it was the damn bird with beautiful eyes and a fucking smile that would make any girl feel special. Sure her humor was crass and crude, but Octavia was always able to keep up with Raven in that regard. But recently she complicated her relationship with Raven by sleeping with her and furthermore by refusing to hear her best friend out.

The small brunette let out a frustrated groan and went over to the weights to do squats with the bar. 

At this point, Octavia was just lost in her thoughts. Raven and the party swirled around in her brain, teasing her anxiety that grew and grew with each squat. She was so lost in her own little world that she didn't feel the presence of a big body coming up behind her, asking her if she was alright.

It took the man tapping on her to wake her up from her threatening thoughts, except that was a bad idea because she got frightened and loosened her grip on the bar. She tilted to the side from the uneven weight. 

She was falling, and she braced herself for impact. But it never came. Someone had grabbed the bar, and her waist to keep her body from obtaining a nasty bruise.

Octavia let out a relieved sigh before turning her head to the side to see who had caught her when her hazel-green eyes were met with two dark brown eyes filled with concern.

"Are you alright, miss?" The words seemed too gentle for this large man. But the way he was holding her and the bar steady was surprisingly soft as well. 

Octavia gulped, nodded her head silently. The man raised his eyebrows and decided to take the bar from her and lower it. Octavia stood silent and watched the tan man put the bar back on the stand and come to face her. 

She probably should stop staring at the mysterious man and how muscular he is and start actually talking.

"I uh, thank you a lot for that save," Octavia murmured loud enough so only he could hear it.

The young man smiled and nodded his head as an acceptance of the gratitude. 

Octavia tilted her head. He seemed like the quiet type, not saying too many words. Octavia twiddled with her thumbs, but she didn't look down at them. Instead, she continued to stare right into the dark brown irises that belonged to a man staring right back at her, expecting her to say something.

Octavia cleared her throat and said, "Soo, what's your name?"

The tan man's smile brightened ever so slightly before he replied, "Lincoln Woods."

_Woods._ Why does that name sound so familiar?

Octavia smiled back at him, and she proudly pointed a finger to her chest.

"I'm Octavia Blake, and it is nice to meet you. Do you go to school at Fauna?"

Lincoln shook his head and steadily answered, "No. I go to SilverCoat Uni."

Octavia's job dropped.

"That's one of the top five military schools on this side of the nation!" Octavia exclaimed, astonished. 

"Who are you training for? Your pack? Or maybe the cities special guard? Hell, maybe even National security?" Octavia shot off each question, making Lincoln subtly blush at the petite brunette staring up at him awestruck. 

He clasped his large hand behind his neck and rubbed it while smiling a bit more bashfully.

"I've never thought of what I might do afterward."

He opened his eyes, and his gaze became more solemn. He didn't say anything after that as it seemed he was staring off into the distance.

Octavia was about to ask the muscular man where his mind went when she sensed, what smelled like, a doe come up behind her. 

"Who's this, Lincoln?"

Octavia turned her head and was met with another pair of dark brown eyes. The meta was a bit taller than Octavia but not towering over her. The black and white doe wore running shorts that accentuated powerful thighs, and a light blue tank top that showed off toned arms but not overtly so.

The meta was nothing short of gorgeous, and Octavia was almost jealous of how fit the doe looked while still retaining a thin appearance. Octavia fully turned towards her with a friendly smile, but the doe only smirked and raised an eyebrow. Looking back up at Lincoln, who was looking down at her with a smirk of his own.

"This is Octavia, and she goes to Wild Fauna university," Lincoln explained.

The meta brown-eyed doe's ears twitched up and then down, looking at Octavia with an almost stern expression before quickly letting a pleasant smile cross her lips.

"Hello, Octavia, I'm Gaia, and that's my brother," Gaia extended a dark brown fur covered hand to Octavia, which the latter gladly took with a bright smile of her own.

Octavia was mildly surprised that this doe was Lincoln's sister. They looked nothing alike, hell they weren't even from the same genus. But Octavia made sure to not ask the question and keep the surprise off her face.

"What school do you go to?" Octavia inquired

"Oh, I go to Polis Rites High. I'm a senior," Gaia easily answered and let go of the brunette's hand.

"Highschool, huh? I bet you're ready to get out of that hell," The does eyes darkened slightly, but she still lightly responded, "you have no idea."

Though unbeknownst to Octavia, Lincoln could tell that his sister was heading down a dark rabbit hole that he didn't want to have to pull her out of, so he abruptly rejoined the conversation in his sister's steed.

"So Octavia, do you have any plans for the weekend?"

A thought passed through Octavia's mind.

"Actually, yeah. We're throwing a party at my brother's huge ass apartment a little bit from here. If you want, you guys can come."

Lincoln seemed to ponder the offer before taking out his phone and looking up at Octavia.

"Lets exchange phone numbers, and we'll see about that party."

🐾

"Hey, Anya, I'm home."

Lexa heard the door click behind her as she stepped foot inside her house. It was quiet too quiet for a rowdy 2-year-old to be in.

Lexa took a right into the living room and saw her older sister and nephew sleeping comfortably on the couch. The young brunette smiled softly and went into one of her closets to retrieve some blankets for the sleeping duo. Moments like this were meant to be treasured. No matter what anyone says, her duty was to her people first and foremost.

Then Lexa looked down at the tuft of blond hair peeking underneath her sister's tan arms.

They are both her people, and she will do everything to protect this little one from harm, alongside her sister.

After tucking both of them into her couch, she tiredly went into her own room and threw on her nightclothes. Then Lexa tucked herself into bed, and closed her eyes, giving herself up to the comfort of her own bed.

.🐾

It was finally Saturday. 

Four hours before the party, and Clarke was already fretting over what she should wear. It would be her first real college party where she could(for the most part) drink without people questioning her age and getting kicked out with Octavia and Raven.

But that was not the main reason for her nervousness though it definitely played a big part.

Clarke Griffin was so nervous because she got a text from Lexa saying that she would be there with her plus one.

God, it was way too early to be this nervous. It was only a college party anyways. Most of the time, Clarke would most likely be too drunk to remember what she did at the party. Although that still didn't stop Clarke from throwing half of her wardrobe onto her bed and leaving her room in disarray. She was so caught up in her search for suitable party clothes that she didn't notice a small brunette girl watching her from the other side of the room.

The little brunette hasn't said anything since last night after Clarke and Abby let her sleep in the guestroom. She seemed standoffish and quiet, so Clarke thought it would be a good idea for the panther to have her own room.

_You could imagine Clarke's surprise when she woke up to a face full of long brown locks, and a curled up body against her stomach. The blonde was so surprised, in fact, that she jerked away from the little girl, falling off the bed and pulling the covers down with her._

_Which, in turn, woke up the young girl._

_All of this commotion brought Abigail into the mix. Confusion and surprise flashed across Abby's face while she observed the scene before her._

_Clarke scrambled up and off the floor, staring at her mother with surprise and almost guilty expression. The little girl, however, had shown no sense of bewilderment or guiltiness. Actually, she didn't show any emotion at all, except for her blank, bored expression._

_"I-I...little panther?" Clarke questioningly gasped out._

_The brunette child merely scooted over to the side that Clarke fell off and softly answered, "Madi."_

_Clarke tilted her head, confused for a minute before realizing that the small girl had just given the blonde her name._

_"Okay, Madi," Clarke whispered with a meager smile, but the little girl didn't smile back. All she did was nod. It was the first real interaction between Clarke and Madi that wasn't serious and nonemotional._

_Abby watched this interaction between her daughter and the small child with a weary expression. Abby thought that no good could come of her daughter taking care of a panther. Especially after Clarke refused to send Madi back to school since the little girl wouldn't tell Abby her parents' name. But what Abby didn't know was that her daughter and that panther would create such a strong familial bond, that it would rival that of Clarke's own father's._

Anyways, Clarke was sifting through her clothes like a gardener would sift through his weeds. It was on the border of being ridiculous, but Madi watched all of this with a perplexed disposition. 

Clarke decided that she honestly didn't have any good ideas on what she should wear. 

Would a low cut dress be trying too hard? Is it too revealing? She's trying to impress everyone, not have them think that she's a stripper.

(However, if asked, Clarke wouldn't admit that she was just looking to impress one person).

All of this, she told Raven and Octavia after running out of ideas of what she should wear. She put them all on a group call.

"Honestly, Clarke, You would look sexy in any of the clothes you just showed us," Raven mumbled over a mouth full of ramen noodles.

"Exactly what Raven said, now can you stop losing your shit over what you will wear so the rest of us can figure out what we're wearing?"

There was a brief pause in the conversation, and Clarke finally stopped frantically picking up her clothes and looked at her phone, which was uncharacteristically silent.

"Oh? Why are you in such a hurry to get dress? Your not the type of person to be in such a hurry," Raven said skeptically, glancing at Octavia when the latter began to softly blush.

"W-well, I'm not! I just thought we all might need a little time to dress since Clarke is taking up all of our time."

Clarke huffed indignantly and picked a black dress with a black collar and white lining on the edges.

"Speaking of which, why are you so nervous, Griffin? I thought Lions were supposed to be super proud and shit."

"Well, right now, I'm not. Come on, guys, I just need to know one thing then. Body-hugging, or a flowy?"

"Body-hugging, for sure," they both replied at the same time before Octavia added, "It accentuates your curves more." Then Raven joined, "Go with a dress that goes just above your knees. Not too revealing but enough to show off your legs."

Clarke let her mouth drop before she smiled brightly and began expressing her gratitude, and in return, made Raven and Octavia smirk and roll their eyes.

"Just doing our noble best friends' duties," Raven replied.

"We'll see you at the party, Griff," returned Octavia.

"See you, guys. Hey Rae. Do you still need a ride over to Bellamy's place?"

"Yeah, pick me up at seven, alright?"

"Alright. Bye!"

"Bye!" Octavia and Raven both exclaimed before ending the call. Leaving Clarke to pick up her mess of clothes. It wasn't until Madi made herself known that Clarke cleaned up most of her clothes.

It surprised Clarke, and she let out a surprised gasp before smiling almost shyly at the small brunette. After the incident this morning, Clarke didn't know how to act around her.

It felt almost weird being this attached to someone that she just meant. It wasn't okay at all. Even if the panther refused to talk about where she came from, Clarke should be doing more to get her back with her own kind.

Well, no matter, Clarke thought exasperatingly. She's here right now, and that's all that matters.

"Do you need anything, Madi?" Clarke question with a quirk of her brow as she started hanging the lat bit of her clothes.

The brunette stayed silent. Long enough for Clarke to take notice of it, and turn fully around and give the child her full attention. Madi was looking uncharacteristically nervous. Though her face remained stoic, her eyes showed her nervousness, and her fingers kept on twiddling with the others.

"The black one looks pretty."

Clarke's face showed visible astonishment, not expecting that to come out of the girl's mouth.

"Really? Well, thank you," Clarke thanked with a more confident and bright smile.

"I'll wear the black one," the blonded stated after turning back around towards her closet and picking the dress. The room was silent again, but Clarke could still tell that Madi was in the room. The blonde woman wasn't sure why she was still there, but then Clarke got an idea and threw over her shoulder, nonchalantly, "would you like to help me pick the accessories too?" 

Clarke turned around to watch the little girl's reaction, and she was glad that she was able to catch the faint blush that painted the girl's cheeks. Madi rapidly nodded and stepped a bit closer to Clarke, making the young woman smirk and lead Madi to where all of her necklaces and bracelets were.

🐾

Lexa and Anya have known Indra and Gustus all of their lives. 

They're probably the closest thing to a mom and dad the two sisters had. So it came as a surprise to Lexa, that her sister was so keen on not asking Indra or Gustus to watch over Aden, but Lexa was having none of it.

"Anya, they are not apart of the pack. They don't care about who you have babies with, they only care that you are here and safe."

"yeah? well, if they don't care about who I marry, why did you?" Anya seethed at her little sister, immediately regretting the words the moment they left her mouth.

Lexa gritted her teeth and decided to focus her attention on the road ahead for a little bit.

"You know why, Anya. I was training to be Heda. I am still training to be Heda. You know it was against the law to marry outlaws, but you did anyway."

Anya huffed and growled under her voice before replying, "But you could have stopped the court from banishing me!"

Lexa let her own rumbling growls fill the car. This was not how this day was supposed to go. It was supposed to be fun, and they were supposed to have a refreshing get together with Indra and Gustus. But arguing this bullshit was not what Lexa had in mind.

"You know as well as I do that I had no real power to tell them what and what not to do. I don't become a real Heda until three months from now!"

All of the growls, glares, and the overall harsh pheromones were too much for the small blonde toddler in the back. Aden became fussy and then started crying, alerting the two sisters, and making Lexa feel guilty. 

They shouldn't be acting like a grumpy pup. 

Especially right before going over to Indra's. She would know if she was feeling irritated and start badgering her for answers.

No matter how much she loves Indra, she doesn't feel like having a deep conversation and getting emotional right before (most likely) a frat party.

So, Lexa sighed and pulled the car over so Anya can calm down her son. The air was silent once more beside the cooing from a mother to a son outside the vehicle.

Finally, Anya placed him in the back seat, and he was happily babbling nonsense again. Lexa silently started up the car and continued the rest of the ride in silence, excluding the talking 3-year-old in the back.

Once they pulled up to Indra and Gustu's driveway, Lexa took hold of Anya's hand and looked her in the eyes.

"I'm sorry. We shouldn't be arguing about stuff like this. Tonight we'll get ourselves some much needed time to ourselves, alright?" Lexa asked, watching Anya with wary eyes. The young brunette relaxed when her older sister broke down into a smile and instead gave her young sister a young.

"Some much needed time, indeed," Anya affirmed with a last squeeze to her sister, and then they both got out the car to go get Aden's overnight bag and other essentials, while Anya went to go get Aden. Together they went up to the front door, rung the doorbell, and waited for Gustus or Indra to answer it.

A second of some yelling from the other side, Indra answered the door with a prominent scowl before seeing who was at the door. The scowl turned into a kind-hearted smile.

"Look at my two favorite hyenas. Don't just stay out there! Come in, Lincoln and Gaia haven't seen you for a while," Indra ushered the two girls in with a small smirk as she called her husband to the living room.

"Gustus! Come down here, Anya and Lexa are here," Indra shouted down the hall.

Lexa set down Aden's essentials, and settled on the couch, while Anya sat down next to her awkwardly, holding Aden in her arms. The young brunette chanced a glance at her older sister.

"Anya stop looking so awkward," Lexa hissed below her breath.

The older dirty blonde huffed and glared at her younger sister.

" Well, I'm sorry if I feel like I shouldn't be here," Anya sarcastically growled back at her.

"You're ridiculous An-" but she was interrupted by the loud steps of no other than Gustus woods himself. Lexa looked back and gave Gustus an uncharacteristically big smile. Gustus looked at both Anya and Lexa with beaming eyes and smiled so big that his teeth were able to be seen beneath his big burly beard.

"My favorite girls! Come over here and give this old man a hug," Gustus proclaimed with his arms wide open. Lexa shot her older sister a look that screamed, 'you better give him a damn hug' and then got up to give Gustus a hug. Anya placed Aden softly on the couch, making sure not to wake him before putting on a fake smile and joining Gustus and Lexa in the group hug.

"We're hardly kids anymore, Gustus. We don't need your near-death bear hugs," Anya wheezed out when Gustus gave them a particularly tight squeeze. The big man only laughed and loosened his hold on both of them. He looked down at them almost bashfully and said, "Sorry, girls. I just haven't seen you in so long."

He looked at both of them, but his eyes lingered on Anya longer. Really Anya was the one that hasn't checked the Woods family in over five years. Lexa hasn't visited them either, but she would seldomly send the Woods letters.

It was the main reason for the sisters' many arguments. Lexa would always try to convince Anya to send Indra and Gustus a letter, a call, text really anything, but Anya would always refuse or just say she has something else to do. It got on Lexa's nerves to no end, and the younger sister had just had enough of her older sibling's behavior.

They both needed to face their demons and move on, and that started with making amends with the one family they ever truly had.

"It's alright, Gustus. We missed you too," Lexa said as she reluctantly wiggled free from his hold along with Anya. No matter how much time has passed, she will always remember the great bear hugs Gustus would give to her and Anya. Honestly, Gustus was like the fatherly role model that she never had growing up.

Indra was watching this all from the kitchen, her eyes warmer than they've been in a long time.

Gaia and Lincoln were actually chilling in Lincoln's old room when they heard the loud steps of their father and the shouting from Indra. Retrospectively, Lincoln and Gaia went to check out what all of the commotions were about and was pleasantly surprised when they saw the hyena sisters and what seemed like a sleepy toddler on the couch.

"Oh? You guys finally decided to visit us?" Gaia teased with her brow raised in a silent question. Lincoln looked at the hyena sisters with the same carefree questioning demeanor.

It wasn't like they weren't happy to see Lexa and Anya, but it seemed like they showed up out of nowhere. Especially with the toddler that looked like it might wake up any minute.

Anya didn't show any sign of being affected by the questioning stares, but Lexa knew her sister. At least she thinks she still does.

"Yeah. Anya and I just came to drop Aden off with Indra and Gustus," Lexa clarified, but then Anya quickly added, "but if you feel uncomfortable with him here, Gaia, I can take him."

There was a subtle twitch of the young doe's eye that expressed plainly Gaia's irritation. Even if Anya didn't mean it, she implied that she would feel unsafe around any carnivore just because she was an herbivore. But her father is a damn carnivore himself, and a large one at that. Anya's son is nothing but a small toddler that can barely stand on its own two feet. 

It irritated Gaia to no end when animals of all species would go to great lengths to make her, and sometimes her mother, feel comfortable. It made Gaia feel weak, incredibly so, but she's learned to take these small stereotypical thought processes from all animals with a grain of salt. 

No matter how hard she trains or how hard she excels in areas that not many herbivores do, she can't change all carnivorous animals' minds. But honestly, if it wasn't for her sister's death, she wouldn't have become the heart-strong warrior that her mother always thought Costia would be. Gaia was more of a peacekeeper than a fighter, Costia being more headstrong and confident and courageous. Taking risks and decisions that everyone else was too afraid to take. It's what Gaia envied about her sister, and it's what the doe misses about her now.

"Well Lincoln and I will actually be going to a party later tonight, but no. I don't have a problem with Aden," she firmly replied, her smile smaller than moments before.

Anya seemed to have realized the jab, but she expresses her guilt at the situation. She merely nodded and went around the couch to pick up her son and walk back to Indra with a more relaxed figure than before.

While Anya quietly discussed all of her baby's needs, and what to do if an emergency were to happen, Lexa was curious about the party Lincoln and Gaia are going to.

"Party? Does it happen to be at Blake's house?"

Lincolns eye brightened, and his smile got maybe a tiny bit wider.

"mhmm! We got invited by this Octavia girl. Maybe we can all ride over there together," the muscular man offered. Lexa bit her lip in thought. They're going to the same house. No reason to waste gas when they could all just carpool in one car. So Lexa firmly nodded her head and offered Lincoln a polite smile.

"Maybe we could. I'll ask my sister," Lexa replied back and went over to her sister right when Anya passed Aden over to Indra and gave the sleepy bugger a kiss.

Lincoln and Gaia gave each other a look before going into the kitchen to grab some refreshments. Party doesn't start until two hours from now, and the place is almost an hour away. Until then, Lincoln, Gaia, and the hyena sister will have to catch up on many years of lost friendships.

🐾

Octavia was passed being stressed. 

She was on the verge of losing her shit if the party didn't run smoothly, although she was told countlessly by her friends and brother that this was just like any other college party. Octavia looked like she was the one who was planning the whole damn party when it was really most of her brother's doing. They were mainly his parties to begin with.

It was a funny thing to witness. 

Octavia, who seemed so headstrong and stable in her self-identity, actually cared way too much about what people thought. 

Sure it was her first time planning a college party, and Octavia had a right to be a little nervous, but this wasn't healthy. 

If looked at closer, this came down to some more personal issues than just what some college kids might think of her. Though none of that stopped Octavia from wanting to make a good impression on everyone at the party.

It mostly came down to the fact that she isn't some giggly teenage girl trying to sneak into her big brother's parties anymore. She's not the same school girl that had the biggest, gayest crush on her herbivore friend. And she's not the same girl who would cry to Raven when her parents were fighting.

The bottom line is, Octavia isn't young and naive or closed off anymore. She's matured emotionally and physically. 

At least that's what she likes to think.

The young dark-haired brunette had something to prove. Whether it was to herself or others.

Bellamy had just gone out and returned with some more beer since he had an inkling feeling that there wouldn't be any beer left by the end of the night. 

Octavia set up the snacks while Clarke determined what type of liquor they should put out. Bellamy was having a conversation with Raven as the latter half-heartedly helped with the preparations. It was only an hour before the party commenced, and everyone seemed to be already doing there 'pre-game' drinking.

Everyone except Octavia.

"Octavia, I really think that you would relax if you just drunk some alcohol," Clarke mumble over her red cup, staring at a very tense Octavia.

Octavia only rolled her eyes.

"I just don't want to become drunk before the party even starts," Octavia snarkily replied before silently glancing at a giggly, tipsy Raven.

Clarke caught where her gaze was pointed towards and laughed under her breath.

"I think after these long couple of weeks. We all deserve this," Clarke stated as she took another subtle sip from her red cup. Octavia only cast her blonde friend a withering stare.

Even though it didn't seem like it at first glance, Bellamy kept an eye on his younger sister and at how tense she was. Sure he knew that she was nervous since this was her first real college party, but it shouldn't have warranted a reaction like this. But Bellamy refrained from comforting or questioning his sister since right now, that would only make her distance herself more from him.

So instead, he kept a very giggly Raven entertained, and he easily smiled back at her. 

Raven was having a fucking blast, and the real deal didn't even start. She got to see Octavia in an extremely tempting dress and shoes. Bellamy and Raven were having a pretty good time talking trash about their math teachers. Clarke was just being Clarke. However, when Raven shoots Octavia a stare, the latter always seems stressed, putting up snacks, or cleaning the counters for the hundredth time. 

Jesus Christ, it was only thirty minutes until the party started! All four of them should already be three to four drinks deep right now. Bellamy was marinating with his one red cup. Octavia hasn't taken a sip of alcohol. Clarke was the only one who was partially keeping up with Raven since the blonde was two and a half drinks in.

This was some terrible pre-gaming. So Raven took it upon herself to lazily walk over to Octavia and wrap a firm arm around the shorter brunette's waist. The reaction the slightly taller tan-skinned girl received from the smaller brunette was worth any amount of poor pre-game drinking she'll have to go through with her friends.

Octavia's face burned a beautiful light red, and her eyes widened almost comically. It was absolutely adorable to a completely tipsy Raven. 

In fact, SO adorable that she had a powerful urge to kiss the girl in her arms. Alast, Raven was tipsy, not drunk, so she didn't follow through with that line of thought.

Later that night, however, was a different story.

"Come on, O. The party already started. Just relax and have fun before other random people show up."

Raven's statement seemed to do the trick since Octavia seemed too visibly relax in the taller brunette's arms, albeit a little reluctantly.

And finally, the group was having a good time talking about anything and everything, Octavia finally started on her pre-game drinking after Raven consistent badgering on the subject. 

Clarke was now the one who looked a bit anxious, but she wasn't stressed like Octavia was. Instead, she just looked at the door every few minutes. Most likely waiting for her hyena friends.

The only thing that was going through Clarke's mind was when the damn woman was going to get here.

And like magic, the door rang.

Of course, Clarke raced to the door, but surprisingly Octavia stayed near Raven. Which, if Raven wasn't on the border of being drunk, the latter would have been surprised that Octavia even felt comfortable near her.

Clarke slowly opened the door, and blonde's breath got caught in her throat when she saw who it was.

Alexandria Forrester in the flesh. With the woman, she met at the courtyard and two other faces she didn't recognize.

It was not that it mattered who Lexa brought since Clarke couldn't seem to take her eyes off her.

The brunette was wearing simple mascara and maybe some foundation and lip gloss if Clarke looked close enough. She wore skinny black jeans and a black leather jacket that made Lexa look a hundred percent hotter and just downright sexy. Lexa wore her hair down and straightened, and she wore a white shirt that said in bold black letters 'commander'.

And if none of this was the epitome of a hot, commanding style of clothing than Clarke didn't know what was. 

Lexa wore it gorgeously, and maybe the shorter blonde should probably stop staring since she could now see that the taller brunette was sporting a small smirk while the others had a look of confusion, and the dirty blonde just had a 'not-amused' disposition.

Clarke cleared her throat and welcomed them in.

"Uh, Hi, everyone! You guys can just come on in. Drinks and snacks are in the kitchen. Games at the table in the living room. And movies are there also."

Clarke opened the door wider so that the group could come in. While they filed into the apartment, Clarke took this time to look at the others. There was a big meta golden brown bear with kind brown eyes, and he was wearing regular jeans and a simple grey shirt with multiple green trees to resemble a forest. The girl to his right was dark-skinned with platinum blonde colored dreads. She was slim, but she was in no way a stick. The shorts showed off her legs, which were very toned and long, and her arms were covered by a pullover grey sweater. And of course, Lexa's maybe girlfriend had her own appeal. The woman wore her hair down and very wavy. Regular skinny jeans and a rock and roll band called 'Rabbid K-9s' on the T-shirt.

All in all, the whole group of people was very pleasing to look at.

After Clarke closed the door, she called in the rest of her friends to say hi to the newcomers. Octava was the first to come out of the kitchen with a bright, and maybe slightly nervous, smile. Then it was Bellamy, and lastly, Raven. Clarke could see in the corner of her eye that Bellamy was surprised that Alexandria of all people was here. The blonde didn't exactly say who she was inviting.

There was probably a second of awkward silence before Octavia spoke up.

"So guys, this is Lincoln and Gaia. I met them at the gym yesterday," Octavia introduced the two unknowns to Clarke and her friends. Clarke smiled and simply said, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Gaia and LIncoln. Can I get you any drinks?"

"Water, please."

But the smaller woman to his right gave him an unimpressed look before she said, "I would actually like something to drink. Do you have any vodka?"

Clarke chuckled and nodded.

"Yeah, we have some vodka, but I would wait until Monty and Jasper show up."

Gaia tilted her head, and Lincoln looked at Clarke confusingly. Before the blonde could explain who those people were, Raven stepped and nonchalantly stated, "Monty and Jasper make this horrible moonshine that will have you on your back in a few hours. They're both the biggest weasels you will ever find"

Raven had a cup of water now, so she can dilute the alcohol from her system a little bit before those two show up. She needed to have her liver intact to take it.

Clarke softly punched Raven in the arm while smiling.

"Hey, their moonshine is a hundred percent better than your rocket fuel. Remind me to never let you do drinks."

Raven was dramatically gobsmacked, and her face showed false hurt, but her eye was glimmering.

"Damn, blondie. I thought you loved my alcohol! You said so yourself," Raven exclaimed, which only made Clarke smile mischievously.

"It's called pillow-talk, sweetheart," Clarke cooed and ducked a flying couch pillow letting it hit the wall behind her.

The blonde then quickly turned around, staring dead-on into Lexa's eyes.

'would the rest of you like something? or do you also wanna wait to try my friends' infamous moonshine?" Clarke questioned, her lips still turned up into a smile, which almost made Lexa smile back.

But the brunette controlled the reaction.

"I'll just have some water too."

And then Anya joined with, "I'll have some vodka like Gaia."

Clarke nodded her head and disappeared into the kitchen to grab everyone's drink with Bellamy's help.

While those two were out getting the drinks, Raven took it upon herself to grab a deck of cards after loudly exclaiming that a party wasn't a party without games. So it left Octavia and the other four, so she led them to the couch to wait for Raven, Clarke, and her big brother. 

The small olive-skinned brunette asked, "So how do you all know each other? I mean, I know Lincoln and Gaia are sister and brother, but how about the rest of you?"

Lincoln looked down pensively as if he was thinking about his next words carefully. He didn't want to give too much away and make Lexa or Anya feel uncomfortable, so he said, "Family friends. Lexa and Anya always came over to our house."

Lexa and Anya nodded before the latter slyly added, "Lincoln would always cry when we left. He's the biggest marshmallow you'll ever see."

Lincoln felt his furry cheek become warm and sputtered out a loud, "Anya!" Making Gaia break down in a fit of giggles. Anya just slyly smirked at Lincoln and gave him a condescending pat on his large furry arm.

"Don't worry. Some women find that cute."

All Lincoln did was huff and cross his big bear arms in front of him with pursed lips. Looking starkly similar to his dad at that moment.

Raven came in with three separate decks for God knows what, and sat opposite of Octavia and placed the cards down. Gaia smiled at Raven and questioned, "So a little birdie told me that the Blakes' parties were supposed to be the greatest on the campus."

Raven raised her brow at the woman before taking the deck of cards out and shuffling them.

"Yoy guys came a bit early. Don't worry though, from here on out, the party is just going to get crazier."

🐾

And sure enough, it did.

First, Monty and Jasper came busting into the room and said hey before going straight to the kitchen to set up their moonshine. And if that wasn't enough, Raven went back there with them to work on her rocket-fuel. All of which taste like ass. Very, very strong ass.

Second, the horse sisters came in, and one was in their human form while the other was a meta. Then Murphy came in with a girl whom no one from their friend group has seen before, and later so on and so forth. The apartment was piling up quickly, and just like Raven promised, the night was getting crazier.

Clarke had just recently found out that she was a very loud and flirty drunk. A realization that she wished to God she could have realized without Lexa in the room. Because let's face it, Lexa was very, very attractive. And Clarke would be stupid if she didn't admit that. 

No amount of lioness pride would allow her to.

"Hey, Lexa!" Clarke slurred, her mouth turned up in a lazy smile. 

Lexa was casually leaning against the wall half-engaged in a conversation between Lincoln and Anya. Anya was showing her disgust at college frat parties such as this while being slightly tipsy. 

Honestly, in Lexa's eyes, Anya fit right in.

Lexa glanced amusingly at the more than happy drunk blonde swaying in one spot. 

"Hello, Clarke," Lexa stated as she sipped on her own acholic drink. However, the brunette almost spit out her drink when the slightly shorter girl stepped into her personal space. 

Lexa's brain short-circuited, and it probably shouldn't have stopped working when it did because maybe then Lexa could've prevented what happened next.

The blonde, having been filled with one too many cups of liquid courage, wrapped her arms around the taller brunette's neck and purred. 

And to say that Clarke never did this before would be an understatement. Clarke HATES purring, especially to strangers. She felt that purring was more of a last, clingy tactic to comfort someone if all else fails. Other times it signified comfort or pleasure. At the moment, one can guess what the blonde was feeling at the moment.

Lexa was a whole different story. 

It was a confusing mix of good and bad feelings. The first evident feeling was shock. 

To think that this blonde was so close that she could drown in the scent of jasmine and earth if she wasn't careful. It was nerve-wracking, to say the least.

The next feeling was fear. 

Lexa doesn't usually admit to being scared of anything, but this she could admit to herself. She was afraid that for some ungodly reason, Lexa would snap, and everything would come into focus. That she would suddenly realize her hatred for all lions and do something much worse to the blonde than she did those years ago. It wasn't a pleasant thought process for the taller brunette, but it helped keep her in check around Clarke, mostly in check. Even the mighty Heda had her cracks.

The last feeling was lust. 

Unchecked and unaltered lust. 

The tint in the brunette's cheek wasn't just from embarrassment. The heat of the moment made her irises dilate far beyond what would seem appropriate around her sister, who mind you was right next to her, probably watching the whole reaction with very observant eyes. 

So, Lexa tried to play her undeniable attraction by disentangling herself from a purring and very drunk blonde. Still, she was interrupted by another more dark sound that Lexa, in her wildest imagination, wouldn't have thought would have come from the blonde below her.

It was a growl. But it wasn't a playful growl that Clarke emitted their second meeting. And to Clarke, it sure as hell wasn't a typical warning growl she gave to those two animals yesterday terrorizing Madi. 

It was low, so only Lexa could hear it, but Clarke didn't bare her teeth. It almost shook Lexa's lithe frame at the sheer power behind it. It also felt borderline dangerous. Like if Lexa made a wrong move, the girl before her would rip her apart. And when Lexa looked deep into Clarke's eyes, all she saw was an intense possessiveness, anger, and perhaps lust as well? This made the taller woman gulp nervously.

It threw Lexa in for a loop, but oddly enough, this wasn't the least of her concern.

_Though Lexa wouldn't be lying if she said that she was nearly scared shitless by the growl and the look in the blonde's eyes._

No. One of the biggest concerns that kept on flashing in Lexa's brain was that if Lexa didn't get both her and Clarke to a more private setting, she was sure that her sister would tear into the girl before her. Hyenas were very protective of their Matriarch or 'Alpha.' Even more so, Hyenas were protective of family, and no amount of time away from each other would be able to deteriorate their sisterly bonds. 

But sisterly bonds be damned. Lexa wasn't going to allow something else to happen to the lioness before her because of the former's doing. 

Not again, and certainly not now.

So Lexa chanced a glance at what was an expected seething Anya and confused Lincoln. The young woman bit her lip and thought about how she could diffuse the situation before it escalates into a vicious, bloody brawl between a drunk blonde and a much more sober Anya.

Lexa silently pushed herself off the wall and walked the giggling blonde over to an empty hallway all the way to the back of the large apartment. 

Once there, the tense brunette tried to completely step away from the blonde's embrace, but Clarke only held on tighter, dug her nose into Lexa's chest, and started babbling nonsense.

"..you smell just like her."

Lexa quirked an eyebrow, but she did nothing more to express her confusion. Even if Clarke wouldn't allow her to leave this intoxicating embrace, Lexa finally had gotten a good enough grip on her emotions and reactions to the blue-eyed beauty. 

"Who?"

But Clarke never answered; instead, she looked up at Lexa, the atmosphere even tenser.

"you have pretty green eyes. Just like the ones I dream about," Clarke practically purred up to a seemingly(now) nonchalant Lexa. Though inside, Lexa was a bit disoriented and flattered at the comment. 

And maybe a bit nervous? Though the nervousness only came from the lonely question that seemingly floated around her head.

_'Is Clarke talking about the time I attacked her?'_

The thought was disconcerting enough that Lexa immediately erased it from her mind and focused all of her attention at the weird entity that swayed from drunkness before her.

"You need to go home, Clarke."

The statement was simple and not a lot of emotion behind it though she was sure a look of anxiousness flashed across her features, causing the blonde to pout. Her bottom lip jutted out adorably, and for a moment, Lexa was more than willing to bite it. Luckily she straightened her back and looked past Clarke to the opposite side of the wall.

Clarke did not really understand what was going on or what she was feeling at the moment, but she knew what she wanted. The blonde reached her hands up to the brunette's face. Her cheeks were soft against the blonde's hands. They were smooth and warm, but the blonde wasn't exactly paying attention to how the other girl looked or felt.

Lexa was tense and almost a bit irritated. This damn lioness of a woman does not understand the concept of personal space. Annoyance is much easier to feel than any other confusing emotions that seemed to be on constant replay around the blonde. 

She tried to focus on that annoyance and let it fester inside, but the minute she felt soft lips touching her cheek, all of it just evaporated—the tensing in her back, the annoyance, her thoughts. Everything just ceased to be, and the only people in the hallway for all Lexa cared were just her and Clarke.

Yeah. Clarke knew exactly what she wanted. And when she leaned up to kiss Lexa's cheek, she knew exactly was she was doing. Naturally, it seemed that the younger woman was getting even more drunk off of just the simplest of pleasures with this brunette.

It was ridiculous and crazy, but Clarke couldn't dismiss how she was feeling right now. She stayed there with her lips softly pressed against the brunette's right cheek, close to her mouth. 

The room became nonexistent to them both, and a flash of something flickered between them though it was muted and seemed to be buried under the pretense of Lexa's shock, and Clarke's intoxicated state. 

Lexa had relaxed into the wall behind her and let her right hand rest against the small of the young woman's back. Whether or not Lexa would push Clarke to press against her front was an instinct that even Lexa was having a hard time tampering down.

Either way, there was one emotion that Clarke could not, for the life of her, figure out why she always had it around this woman. And it was the slither of fear that seemed to always find its way up the blonde's back when she's in the same vicinity as the brunette. 

But the longer Clarke stayed with her lips attached to the brunette's cheek, the harder it became to ignore that crippling fear since it only seemed to become more prominent the more she tried to push it away. 

It wasn't until Lexa finally let down her defense(on purpose) and held onto Clarke's wet cheek. Unknown to the blonde, she had started crying, and her legs were shaking. But really, Clarke didn't have the energy to be embarrassed at her own display of weakness. Not when the seemingly impenetrable brunette was letting down her own walls for her. So then Clarke pulled away and looked at Lexa with watery eyes.

"Your crying," Lexa softly murmured. Her hands caressing her cheeks, and tentatively wiping the tears away.

"It hurts." Clarke's eyes burned with more tears, and the shaking in her legs became stronger before she completely fell against the other woman's chest. 

The pain was unbearable now. 

It continuously twisted a knot in her gut, making her abdominal muscles tense. 

And that damn nightmare from all those nights ago kept replaying on repeat in her head like a mantra. 

The night when she first met the reapers, and what she later realized was Syndromatic Rabid animals, flashed across her eyes. 

That day when she was 'tamed' kept floating in and out of her consciousness. 

It was too much, and it disturbed her to no end. This wasn't healthy, and for once since the incident, she finally admitted to herself that maybe she wasn't completely over her past. 

Lexa moved her gaze to the top of the blonde's head, burning a hole through it. Letting the blonde finish her sentence.

After a minute, Clarke finally did. And it was definitely something that made Lexa's own blood run cold.

"Why does it hurt when I'm with you?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> woooooh that was a lot of words. Glad y'all made it to the otherside. So anywaysssss, sorry about the LONG wait, I honestly don't have a reason except I just kept writing and sleeping, and then writing again. It was pretty tiring ^^' anyway, I really hope you liked it. As always give love or criticism if need be! and have a great rest of your night/day.
> 
> AND FOR THE LOVE OF GOD I CAN"T ADD PICTURES T-T
> 
> I really hope y'all can still see the links I give you.


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